That Old School Story
by Shinashi
Summary: When their schools are rezoned, Blondies, Mongrels, and Elites must learn to get along nicely if they want to pass. But there is something bigger than academics out there to get them.  AU! If you like adventure, read and review! Thank you!
1. The Difference

**AN**: This was supposed to be released sometime in September… but I wasn't brave enough… Now that there are 11 chapters ready for this, I think I can publish it now.

Please review if you read! I don't write without reviews (but there are 11 chapters ready for your reading pleasure and I release one chapter a week!).

**Summary**: When their schools are rezoned, Blondies, Mongrels, and Elites must learn to get along nicely if they want to pass. But there is something bigger than academics out there to get them…

The Difference

_Two Months Before Iason Mink's Junior Year, Summer Vacation_

Iason Mink was a young man of few words. As a Blondie, he was only required to say what was necessary and so far in life accomplished that feat rather well. Yet, he has gathered a unique group of rather non-conforming Blondie friends. At the same time he has garnered enough respect from upper and lower-classmen to make his reputation almost spotless. It had already become known that Jupiter, the sentient computer-ruler of the diverse land of Amoi, would take him as Head apprentice as soon as he passed his Blondie exams.

Still, this silent achiever could have said _something_ about the jumping of the mongrel there in the alleyway of Midas- the city within the city of Tanagura, the capital of Amoi and the current holder of Amoi's now public Academy. The Academy was directly in the middle of Tanagura, protected by the surrounding populated area.

Four older men pummeled the small mongrel to the ground, and Iason watched. His friend Omaki Ghan said he had two emotions: mildly upset and mildly amused. But at the moment no emotion prevailed on Iason's face. And then his visage changed to something spectacular.

Curiosity spread across his face, and he walked towards the one-sided fight. Jupiter would have died at the sight of the unorthodox Blondie behavior and the strange emotions fluttering through Iason's intensely intrigued mind. Jupiter thought it had made Iason perfect. Obviously, that was not the case. Something could move the young Blondie other than itself, and that was seeing a mongrel for the first time- or mongrels, as he thought they all were.

"Stroll around! Here! One more time! Mongrel! And this! Is what you! Get!" threatened one of the beaters between kicks, delineating his status.

Tanagura could be separated into three large subsections, also separating its three classes of citizens. Smallest subsection Eos housed the first-class citizens, Blondie Elites, synthetically-woven persons built by an unknown faction, under Jupiter and the Head of the Syndicate's complete control.

Second-class were lower Elites, natural-born, able to have pride in being the middle-class and above the third tier but also took aim for the statuses above them. They lived primarily in Midas and had some curious characters in their midst. The lowest of the middle class, the worst of them some may say, had multi-colored hair. Some of them descended from the vast array of humanoid races that used to be prolific during the colonization period of Amoi. Middle-class humanoids ranged from horse-like creatures to winged beings- often majestic animal-like species.

The low-class citizens resided in Ceres, mostly, though some had made it across some streets into Midas. They were unmistakably humanoid creatures, subhuman, and drastically poor. They lived abundantly in the slums and held a pride of their own. It was no wonder; Ceres practically bred haunted dwellings and most of Tanagura's suspicious greenery- though Midas and Eos had a few spooks of their own.

Now, Blondie Iason couldn't really tell a mongrel from a lower-middle-class citizen, except when the man called the mongrel, a mongrel. It was only evident that the ones doing the beating were horse-like in appearance and had little magic power- or held little of Amoi's life energy, as was the proper phrasing (most went with magic).

Blondies were built to hold, channel, and withstand magic- not like that was needed; they were naturally more intelligent and had more physical strength; plus, no one knew how to teach magic on the planet; only small bits of magical abilities were spread throughout the population. Still, being able to sense someone's channel of energy did come in handy. For example, Iason knew the Midas dwellers were no match for him. The mongrel, however, was giving off a weird vibe, tweaking more of Iason curiosity.

Iason took the wrist of the nearest assailant. With laughable ease, he squeezed the wrist until he was sure it would bruise even the bones. The man let out a yell of pain, a braying snort, and the others noticed Iason's presence.

"A Blondie! What's one of them doing here?"

"Let's get the hell out of here."

"Come on, man, get up."

The 'man' he had injured turned around to face Iason fearfully, but upon looking him full in the face he said, though cradling his arm, "It's just a kid."

Upon catching wind of this, the others relaxed. Iason become not just a little irritated at this change.

A blue-haired man, admittedly quite a bit older than Iason, patted him on the shoulder. He was a little shorter than the Blondie. "How about you get along now. You're off to school, right?"

"It's summer. School is out," Iason said curtly, using the tip of his fingers to remove the man's hand from his body.

"What grade are you in?"

"I'm a rising junior."

"Well, you're old enough to mind your business. I'll just let what you did to me slide if you let what you see here go in one ear and out the other."

Iason smiled, mildly amused by the man's nonsensical suggestion.

And then Iason saw the mongrel getting up, struggling to his feet. The mongrel was a wolf- not a cursed werewolf, danger to all, mind you- but a wolf humanoid. He had three tails, and preoccupied all of Iason's interest. He was only fifteen, and even he thought that that sort of thing was kind of cool.

He was ignoring the man talking, and the man became quite incensed, taking his chin in hand.

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you, boy."

At first Iason was only surprised. And then he punched the man in the face, sending him flying into the wall. The man staggered away, holding his broken jaw, and gestured for the others to follow him. They ran away.

Iason wiped off his chin, quite disgusted, yet proud that a fifteen-year-old like him bested a man probably twice his age. He turned back to the mongrel, or the slum dog, half-expecting him to be gone, but he was there, arms crossed and looking rather angry himself.

"What you go and do that for?"

"I did it because I wanted to." _And because I wanted to see you up close_, Iason didn't say, though he was feeling rather talkative today. Interestingly enough, the mongrel had jet-black hair and eyes and darkly tan skin, and wore ripped black denim pants with a black shirt, torn the same. Iason wasn't sure if that was just slum fashion or if he was too poor to buy good clothes.

The mongrel sniffed, then shrugged, saying, "So what do you want? You saved my ass so you can get, what, a blowjob or something?"

The seriousness of the inquiry temporarily stunned the young Blondie.

"How old are you?" Iason asked after a long silence.

"I'm fourteen, a sophomore at East Ceres High School."

"Had you said blowjob?"

"Yea." The sophomore started. "You didn't do it to get some, did you?"

Iason lifted his eyebrows. Blinking slowly, he sighed, "No."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because I wanted to. I told you."

"Hot damn! Just your neighborhood friendly Blondie, now aren't you?"

Iason smiled, again mildly amused.

Quite abashed, the mongrel whipped his tails from side to side. Something about his rugged appearance sparked a part of Iason that the Blondie seldom felt as an android. Though only fifteen years old, he was old enough to tell when he was interested in someone, but that feeling was countered by a small feeling of disgust.

Most teachers goaded the discrimination of the other classes. The Blondies especially, since they were brought from Jupiter itself, were subject to intense peer pressure to act as if they were the best thing since Jupiter.

But Iason only felt mildly repulsed because he wasn't sure if the mongrel had enough money to buy water to wash himself. He had heard rumors that the lower class were so poor that they bought everything instant, like coffee and noodles. Who knows what else they couldn't buy?

And did the mongrel say blowjob?

"So what do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Just nothing? What, this was just some sort of pet project for you?"

Iason thought that was pretty funny, him using pet when he looked part animal, but the Blondie didn't laugh. He had a feeling that the mongrel wouldn't have found it all that amusing.

"I wouldn't use those words. It was more like something that I did on a whim."

"Hmph," the mongrel said, and then extended his hand, his nose scrunched up in distaste. Iason had his hands bare for the day, as he didn't think it would match his polo dress shirt and khaki pants- unless he wanted to look like a golfer. He took the mongrel's hand.

"Riki," the mongrel muttered.

"Iason Mink," Iason answered, wondering if the boy had a last name. He held the hand, it was surprisingly soft. And Riki didn't have a bad smell like he had anticipated. He smelled like he showered well, shampooed his hair, enjoyed a good toothbrush. A mongrel wasn't at all as bad as he thought!

Riki snatched away his hand. Though Amoi was a planet of males, except for the girl here and there, he didn't quite like his hand being held by a Blondie like he was some fascinating science project.

"You're never seen a... what do you call us... mongrel like me before, have you?"

Iason admitted, "No."

"That's why ya' Blondie ass jumped in... Wanted to see me up close?"

"Yes," was the honest answer.

Riki spread his hands, gesturing at his body. "So how do you like me?"

"You're fine."

Riki rolled his eyes, digging in his pocket. He pulled out a pen. Uncapping it, he took Iason's hand again and wrote down a number. His number. He stepped back, pocketing his pen in one part of his jeans and taking his cell phone from the other.

"You have a cell phone."

Riki smiled. "It's not mine- but anyway, you can wash your hands or call me when you need a favor, even though, as ya' can see, I'm all healed already."

The mongrel indeed had no bruises or cuts, injuries which should have been evident after he had received such a beating.

Iason looked at his hand, memorizing the number, almost instantly storing it into his long-time memory bank. When he looked back up, the mongrel was already walking away, the suspicious phone to his ear and talking to some person named Guy.

Iason turned the way he came and headed home.


	2. Rezoning

**AN**: I was so excited about my three reviews that I decided to publish another chapter… But, in a week from now, there will be chapter three.

**Sess18**: Thanks for the review, and I'll try

**Unico Luna Angelo**: Thanks for the review~~~ Hope you enjoy this chapter too!

**Hespera Nova**: You again! (I hope I'm not confusing you with someone else) Thanks for reviewing. Thanks for saying it's a nice start. c:

Rezoning

_A Month Before Iason Mink's Junior Year, Still Summer Vacation_

"I can't believe they are rezoning the school- why _our_ school? Why not the interplanetary one in north Midas?" Raoul Am roared, in his most famous of moods: irate. He bit into his ten credit burger.

The infamous Omaki Ghan answered, "Maybe because the school is already big enough? How many kids go there, like, four thousand?" He sipped his strawberry-banana smoothie priced at seven point seven credits.

Iason cut into his twelve credit salad, correcting Omaki, "Five thousand, two hundred."

Another friend, Xian Sami whistled, sipping a cold frappachino, made special- a whopping fifteen credits.

Heiku Quiahtenon didn't have anything, too busy doing summer work for an advanced chemistry class he had taken up. He didn't want any drinks or foods messing up his work, though he did take the time out from being a shut-in to hang out with his closest Blondie friends at the huge Eos mall. They were on the fifth floor, eating at food court.

As Blondies, they were allotted a hefty sum of money for allowance, and did their best to get the best that money could buy, though whether or not their purchases were worth the price could be debated. It wasn't as if they had tried anything cheaper than what they bought currently.

"Who are we taking in?" Heiku asked distractedly, counting the significant figures of all the practice problems, an ordeal that he hated and often got wrong.

"Part of North and East Ceres High Schools and the Interplanetary School of North Midas." Midas had five interplanetary schools, North Midas being the biggest.

"Ugh!" Raoul exclaimed. "No other Blondie school has mongrels in them."

"Amoi Academy isn't a Blondie school anymore," Xian said. "It's public now."

Amoi Acadmey started out as a prestigious all-Blondie school, but the population proved to grow naive of the outside world, completely full of themselves, and unused to the stresses of real life. The Academy then changed to an Elite school, but the results were the same. As the trade between Amoi and other planets began to grow, the school became a private interplanetary school. When humanoids began to enter higher-classes and proved worthy of the Academy, the school changed to public to accommodate them.

Now, there was nothing stopping mongrels from entering the large, though rather empty school, and the other schools needed the relief from overcrowding with students. Amoi Academy was the perfect choice.

"Still, we can't let just anyone in," Raoul complained.

"What do you have against the poor people, Raoul? They haven't done anything to you." Omaki smiled at his friend, already predicting what he was about to say.

"They're dirty."

"What about that Riki Iason met a while back?"

"That was just one of them; that doesn't represent the whole lot of them accurately."

"But you haven't met _any_ of them, so what are you basing your assumptions on?"

"Would you just shut up, Omaki?"

Omaki only grinned. Teasing Raoul was almost second nature to the Blondie, and he enjoyed thinking of ways to get to Raoul on the fly. He leaned back in his floating chair and asked generally, "Do you think we might get more girls?"

"I hope so," Xian said, "Those foreign girls at our school are too pushy, and the Elite girls are stuck-up as hell."

"And how do you think the Ceres girls will act?"

Xian grinned. "Hard to get."

"I thought you liked males?" Heiku questioned absentmindedly, quite able to multitask through the conversation.

"I do. But I wouldn't mind trying out a girl for awhile, before I pass my Blondie exam and see if I have to go celibate for the rest of my life."

Among many restrictions, celibacy was amongst the most trying of them for Blondies. Though not strictly enforced, those that went without physical intimacy were held in higher esteem, and the pursuit of such actions was met with extreme disappointment and detrimental to the reputation. However, Blondies led full lives. They were the focus of any event and, the biggest draw to the teenagers at the moment, were rich. After schooling, they had four more years of training to become true Blondies, and then they will take the exam. If they pass, they can choose whether or not to take the oath to adhere to Blondie standards. Few took the oath.

If synthetically made citizens chose not to take the oath, they were downgraded from Blondie to Platina Elites. Still quite a spiffy title, but marked with the stigma of a failed Blondie.

"I'm glad we don't have to hide it anymore like in the old days," Heiku admitted, looking up from his work to look at his friends. "You know when they required you to be virgin _before_ and after you became a Blondie? That would suck."

"Aren't you a virgin anyways?" Raoul muttered.

"_Yes_, but it is good to have a choice."

Raoul made a face. At his age, he had few loves. Three of them were money, his friends, and art. It was evident in the fact of how much his food costs, the way he spent his time, and the way he held his burger in one hand and an artsy pencil in another, poised over a sheet of sketch paper.

"You still haven't chosen something to do your Abstract Realistic Illustrations on?" Iason asked. He was finished with his salad and was wiping his perfectly clean lips with a cloth handkerchief.

Raoul slammed his pencil down on the table. "I can't even think of what to draw! I hate being told what to do!"

"Why did you take the class? You had it last year."

"I don't know... I thought it would be sort of different. I was terribly, terribly wrong." Raoul took up his pencil again and chewed at the end, which was absent the eraser. He bought those separate, expensive little things that didn't leave smudges and could scrub off everything from pen to crayon. "Teacher said to take what we learned last year about Abstract art and Realistic art and combine them in an 'unique' way."

"How about you take something realistic and draw it in an abstract way?" Xian asked. "Or vice versa."

"You think I haven't thought of that? But nothing I think of is good enough."

Heiku said underneath his breath, "You are your worst critic."

"You've got a month. No need to rush," Omaki pointed out.

Raoul shook his head. "When I finally think of an idea, it'll take forever to do all the correct revisions."

Omaki sighed. "You should take the laidback approach to everything and only do what is necessary to get the grade."

"You're not going to go very far with that attitude."

Omaki shrugged.

Raoul looked at Iason, who, though not an artist, did have a vast knowledge and strong interest in the area of art. Sometimes, Raoul looked at Iason just to receive inspiration. Iason who apparently worried over nothing and still did everything just perfectly. All Raoul needed to do, he thought to himself, was stay calm and think like Iason.

Except when he went to Midas by himself and got caught in a fight that wasn't even his own and met a person that could have been potentially dangerous. That wasn't a smart thing to do, in Raoul's opinion. Iason told him that he had gone by himself because everyone else was busy, and there was a fire circus show that was performing in Midas. _Still_, there were crazy people out there that could take advantage of even a Blondie.

Yet, from what Iason said, the mongrel had acted almost refined. Perhaps, despite what he had said before, Midas and Ceres couldn't be all that bad, if they were letting the kids there enter an Elite- a public school of Eos.

And then the idea bulb illuminated inside Raoul's curly-haired head.

"Well," he murmured to himself, "the idea behind the art is abstract, yet readily apparent in the realism."

"Uh, oh, he's talking to himself again," Omaki said.

Raoul began to nod. "Abstract realism is in itself a paradox; how about I paint a paradox? Yes, it would be easy, so obvious- a different interpretation! Why hadn't I thought of it before? Iason!"

Without so much as a jump, Iason answered, "Yes, Raoul?"

"You still have that mongrel's number?"

Iason raised his eyebrows and took out his phone. "Yes, I do. Would you like for me to call him?"

"Yes."

So, without quite knowing what Raoul had in mind, Iason dialed Riki's number for the first time. The others, even Heiku, leaned forward with much attentiveness. Iason, seeing their interest, took the phone from his ear and put it on speakerphone, letting them all hear the multiple rings alerting the other line.

Finally, it was answered: "Is this fucking Iason Mink?"

Iason's friends gave him shocked looks. They couldn't believe that he had gotten in touch with a real mongrel- who used a real cell phone- then they remembered that the phone wasn't his.

"I'm glad you remember me."

"Sure you are. Finally figured what you want from me?"

"Actually, I need you to do a... favor for a friend."

"So what is it?"

Raoul explained quickly, "Tell him I want to paint him and any friends he has."

"Tell 'im I heard 'im," Riki said. "What the hell do you want to do that for? Can't you paint some hot models where you at?"

"It's for a class he has." Iason smiled. "So what do you say?"

There was a silence on the other line before Riki asked a friend on his side, "Hey, what do you guys say to getting ya'll's picture taken?"

"It's not photography, it's painting," Raoul said irritably.

"Whatever. How many of us do you need?"

"My largest piece has to hold at least ten," Raoul said. "More will give me extra credit."

"I can get you...thirteen... But where are we going to meet up?"

"Come to Eos."

There was laughter in the background of Riki's phone, indicating that he also had his phone on loudspeaker. "I'mma assume youse a Blondie, because, Blondie, if you haven't heard, I got my ass beat just by stepping into Midas. Can you imagine what will happen when a whole gang of _mongrels_ step into Midas? Now think about what would happen if we all went to Eos," Riki told him between laughter.

The group of Blondie boys snickered at Raoul, and he glared at them, blushing furiously.

"You don't seriously think we would go to Ceres!"

"If you wanna paint us, you gotta sacrifice a little."

"Ugh," Raoul moaned, not at all willing to make the sacrifice, but once he had a thought in his head, an idea for spectacular art especially, he was too stubborn to let it go. And this was a beautiful idea; he was sure his teacher would be captivated by his ingeniousness, very sure.

(He was very wrong.)

"It's dangerous here, Riki," came a soft voice from the phone.

Silence. "Yea, I guess it is, huh?" There was a laugh. "They might get shot."

"Excuse me?" Omaki said.

"Just kidding! Sort of..."

Iason interrupted, coming up with an idea of his own, "You had said that you went to East Ceres?"

"Yea."

"Are you zoned for Amoi Academy?"

"Huh? No, I go to East Ceres, I said."

"Wait, Riki!" was another voice's interception, "You didn't hear about the call from the school board?"

"What are you talking about," said another.

"I didn't tell ya'll about it? Oh, my, gosh, I forgot!"

"What?" said the entire audience on Riki's side.

"We're zoned for Amoi Academy. We're just close enough to be bus riders!"

"You can't be serious," Riki whispered. Others echoed the phrase.

"As a heart attack, guys."

"But what does that mean for you, Iason?"

Iason had slightly displeased look on his face. "I thought you would have been close enough to walk to the school, but if you are only close enough to be bus riders, then..."

"We can catch a ride in the orphanage vans."

"You're an orphan?"

"Yep, all of us."

There was an awkward quiet between the two groups, the top rung and the bottom.

"Now, don't go all mushy on me," Riki said. "When do you wanna meet up?"

"Today," Raoul said quickly.

"Half an hour?"

"Fine."

And without preamble, Riki hung up, muttering, "I can't believe this."


	3. The Sketch

AN: :D I know I promised to publish another chapter a week from some day ago, but I can't help but add another when I'm so happy about reviews! That's just the way I am. Reviews=Writing and Publishing, No Reviews=No Writing…and subsequently No Publishing. So I thank each of you generally for your reviews!

**Hespera Nova: **Sorry! I must have mixed you up with someone else, haha. Thanks for your review; I really do try to portray the characters in character as best as I could in my different AU settings (I love doing AU).

**Unico Luna Angelo**: Thanks for the review! And, you know what, I never thought the mongrels as cute with tails and stuff (except for the Talk Trio, whom you will learn about later). I just thought they were kind of sexy. c:

**Claire**: Thanks for the sweet review. I always take great pride when someone says that my story sparks something. With winter break coming up, I'mma have plenty of time! :D

**Raine**: Yes, all of them as kids is super cute! You know what's better, them as babies! To come later! And thanks for your kind words. I try to keep them as character as much as I can, like I said. And, likewise, I'll continue as long as there are reviews, and I'll definitely post the chapters I have already done, reviews or no reviews.

**Pcolka**: Thanks for the review and, obviously, yes, I can put the words back normally. I didn't know if anyone liked it one way or the other, so thanks for your opinion, haha. I would post all eleven chapters… I'll do one chapter every other day or so, how about that? :D

AN again: And if you don't like something PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell me. I really want to become a better writer. I don't want to be famous. I just want to entertain people more than others, haha. Now… On to the story.

The Sketch

Xian was one of those fantastical synthetically made humans with a large flaw. He was rare, and his anomaly had him in the circle of Iason's best friends.

Xian Sami had golden eyes; he was often mistaken for an Elite and so knew of discrimination, because in his younger years he faced it constantly. He was called a wannabe Blondie, a poser, and, worst of all, a mistake. And, oh, how he had hated that life- not knowing when the next prank would befall him or who he could trust with secrets, and there was no one to confide in socially.

Then he chanced upon Iason Mink while coming from the bathroom, wet from being pelted with water balloons. He did his best to dry off with a combined effort between paper towels and the blow dryers. Still, he was soaked. Iason had looked at him and passed him by without a second glance. The next day, he, Raoul, and Heiku sat next to Xian at lunch. Ever since then, they were inseparable.

But today, Xian was sort of nervous to be around his friends. They were going to go face-to-face with mongrels for Jupiter's sake! Xian had all sorts of imaginings going on in his head: how dirty they would be, how their animal appendages will stick out here and there, and maybe they would be horrendously violent!

They seemed calm enough on the phone, of course, but that was nothing like getting up close and personal.

In their car the Blondies gathered, heading for the Academy, and the nearer they traveled, the more nervous Xian became.

But meeting the mongrels wasn't the only thing that worried him. The further he got away from the center of Eos where the Blondies lived (the Academy was once a boarder school before it became public) the stranger things looked to him. He has been asked many times whether or not he could see special things or look through walls- things of that nature- but he had always said no, for Blondies weren't supposed to have those kinds of abilities, so individualistic and unique.

But the truth was that he could, if he tried, see strange things, and looking through walls wasn't a problem at all. He hasn't even told his best friends this fact, for fear of rejection. But if they could handle mongrels, the strangest beings on the planet, they could possibly handle what he had to offer.

They arrived at Amoi Academy not long after leaving the mall. The school loomed in front of them, gigantic, white and without a gate, removed years ago to allow more rooms to be added to the Academy.

And they saw two regular vans and a group of not-too-regular people, exactly thirteen of them, the shortest of them was Riki.

The mongrel came forward, and Xian, with the rest, sort of backed up.

Riki immediately doubled over, laughing. He gesticulated wildly.

"They scared as shit! And we on they turf!"

A few of his friends joined him in his mirth, and most of them smiled. Many of them _did_ have appendages sticking out here and there. There were a couple that were normal to Xian, even with their raggedy clothes and group-wide affinity for flip-flops.

One of them, a long-haired redhead and regular-looking, said, "We have them outnumbered, Riki."

"We're going to war!" a short-haired friend exclaimed, his gray wolf ears flickering madly, and he made everyone laughing laugh even harder.

"Okay, okay, guys, let's just get this over with-" Riki interrupted himself by giggling. "So which of you is the art-teest?"

"How about the one with the canvas and pencils, Riki?" teased a tall light-brown-haired boy with brown furred ears sticking from his hair. "And I'm not having anything drawn until I know the name of my painter."

"The name's Raoul," Raoul said quietly, looking at the mongrel people with wide eyes. "Raoul Am."

"Hey, Raoul. I'm Juthian. Now, I'm gonna shake your hand, is that alright?"

Raoul simply narrowed his eyes and shook Juthian's hand.

Juthian then extended his hand to Xian, and Xian introduced himself. He was surprised to have his hand pulled towards the pretty face and his eyes peered into. "Oh, my gosh! Are your eyes gold?" Three of his friends crowded around Xian at this proclamation of discernment. "Look, his eyes are gold!"

Uncharacteristically feeling a bit shy, something he hasn't felt since the Junior Academy (which was private), Xian looked away. Juthian and the three of them smelled fantastic, completely opposite of what he thought they would be, and each had tiny ears- he believe they were bear ears.

"He's so cute!"

"I didn't think Blondies were this tall!"

"Aren't you hot in all those clothes? All of you are wearing pants and stuffy shirts, I know ya'll hot."

Xian, hoping to get the attention from him for awhile, glanced at his friends for help, but they just gave him amused expressions, smiling at his predicament.

"S-So, what are your names? Wait, is that a girl?" The girl was absent of extra appendages and absolutely voluptuous.

"Toma!"-"Ru!"-"Sarius," they said nearly simultaneously. And Sarius began to introduce the others, "That's Ima, and yes, she is a girl, about as fertile as a desert-"

"Don't say that," the purple-hued girl barked. "I don't care if it is true."

"Anyways, that tall guy is Katze and his boyfriend Daryl- ah, don't you blush! That's Sid, and Luke, aaand Guy and Norris. And goody-two-shoes cutie right there is Yui."

Yui didn't seem the least bit put-out by the name-calling. Instead, he smiled, as if he thought the whole affair as just natural, which it probably was. Katze and Daryl were tall, but normal. Sid, Luke, and Guy were all wolves.

Omaki came forward, bowing (he got plenty of snickers for this) and giving his name. Heiku gave his own name last. After he did, there was another deep quiet that was eventually broken by Raoul, who commanded, "I need all of you to stand like you would at a class picture." He set up his canvas and pencils for the sketch he intended to make, fully expecting the Ceres kids to follow his instructions.

And they did. They smiled at each other, wondering at this arrangement: How can a Blondie desire such a thing as pictures of mongrels? But they went and put themselves into two rows, the seven tallest in the back and the rest in the front. Some of them crossed their arms or put their hands together.

Raoul noticed this and asked, "Is that how you pose for class pictures?"

Juthian answered, keeping his arms folded, "You have a problem with that?"

Raoul thought for a moment. "...No. It adds to the dynamics of the picture."

The Ceres children looked at one another, none of them quite sure what Raoul meant by this. Neither did the other Blondies for that matter. No one knew what Raoul quite had in mind for the drawing after all.

All the mongrels grew rigid as they heard the scribbling of Raoul's pencil, watching the other Blondies crowd around their friend as he drew. The Blondies all knew that as long as they didn't touch Raoul, or get in the way of his focus, they could crowd around all they want. Unlike most other artists, Raoul didn't believe in privacy in the making of his paintings, assuming that he would always show his art to an audience anyway.

Raoul was no static painter; he moved up close and personal to the mongrels, at one point taking Ima's arm and looking up and down and around, trying to get a feel of it with his eyes. He seemed satisfied after about five minutes, much to Ima's eventual pleasure.

As this went on, Xian stared hungrily at Juthian, and Juthian smiled and looked back at him. But when Xian noticed _this_ he blushed and turned away, doing his best to ignore the mongrel, and failing miserably. Juthian stared daggers at him, aiming smartly, and no matter where Xian's eyes roamed, he could at least feel Juthian's eyes.

Xian didn't like the thought of liking a mongrel too much. He didn't think of the fact that he was soon to share classrooms with them, either. And here he was divided between a instinctive feeling of repulsion and the chemistry that happened all of sudden. It was powerful, it was a good feeling that he was loathe to separate from. He managed that day.

It was a long time still before Raoul was finished. The Ceres band had begun to fidget, and Raoul would roar at them, "Keep still!" and because this was a wish of their leader and friend Riki, they stood still, though it went against a deeply embedded code of honor that resisted any sort of restraint on their actions and personalities.

When he was finally finished he waved his hand, taking his canvas apart and staring at his sketch.

"You done?" Riki asked, shaking his aching legs.

Raoul was staring very close to the picture, and finally called out, "Who's this?"

He pointed to one of the mongrels in the gorgeous sketch, a very detailed penciled picture of the mongrels all wearing the Academy uniform, which had long lost its value, though the high schoolers could still buy miscellaneous items with the school's emblem. Beneath the picture he wrote his name and the word 'Both'.

"That's _Yui_," Juthian crooned. "Why do you ask?"

"Yui," Raoul said, looking at the group of mongrels and spotting Yui. "That is a nice name, for a mongrel."

"Thank you...?" Yui answered uncertainly.

"You have wonderful bone structure. And you have a shapely, round face. It pleased me to draw you."

While Yui whispered out another thanks, Ima exclaimed, "What about me?"

"You're too big in all the wrong places," was Raoul's reply.

"You're calling me fat!"

"No, you have a muscular body, sensuous. But it is hard for me to get your curves right."

Ima pouted.

Sarius, Ru, and Toma all ganged up on Raoul, asking the same question, "What about me?"

"About the same, all of you. You three bring off similar personalities."

"And that, like, makes you draw us the same?" Sarius inquired, trying to understand.

"It's sort of like that. You have to bring emotion to your painting, draw a stunning expression- like being a model. If you three were to model down a runway, I wouldn't particularly care for any of you."

"He's blatant isn't he?" Ru whispered into Sarius's ear.

"Quite," answered Toma, hearing the comment.

Raoul narrowed his eyes, then turned to Iason. "Shall we go?"

"I don't see the rush," Iason told him, making it quite odd for everyone.

It was even weirder when Riki didn't say anything to refute him, and so they stayed around, shooting the shit. They exchanged ages, whereas Katze was the only senior, the Blondies all juniors, and the rest were sophomores. They didn't talk about what they wanted to do in the future, that was too personal for them, but they did explain what classes they were taking at the Academy. The Blondies were a bit confused at their descriptions, for they were sure that the school didn't offer certain courses, yet the mongrels sincerely explained that they had.

"It was in the brochure-thingy," Juthian said, spreading his hands out to demonstrate the size of the pamphlet. "They had a whole bunch of classes that we had."

"And some new ones," Yui added softly.

"Aren't you taking, like, abnormal psychology and biochemistry- all those smart people classes?"

Yui nodded. "I'm really going to like those classes."

"Who are your teachers?" Omaki asked.

"Tellin and Bachovsky, respectively."

All the Blondies made horrified faces.

Xian warned, "You really shouldn't. I took Bach my freshman year- totally failed biology, and I'm not going to try again until next year."

"And Tellin's a terrible teacher. He's one of those true lecturers-" Omaki shook his head while he said this. "-and puts you asleep during class._ Then_ he has these mile-long tests that asks questions that pertains to the most specific of details. Terrible, terrible. I think that someone like you should just skip that torture altogether."

Yui smiled. "Though I'm most grateful for the advice, I'm quite sure that someone like me can handle a couple of hard teachers."

The Blondies smiled indulgently, thinking that the mongrel will learn that Elite classes were a whole different story.

"They must be adding more teachers to the empty classes," Heiku thought aloud.

"A few of our teachers will be moving to ya'll school," Ru said, at the moment unable to identify himself with the Elites and the school that they will be sharing soon.

"Who?"

"Well, Coach Qentu will be co-president of the Athletics Department, so I guess he will be a coach?"

Again, the Blondies shared a look.

"Master Hwen won't like that," Raoul muttered. "He hardly likes us, he definitely won't like all of you."

Guy shrugged, at the moment staring down Iason as Iason stared down Riki as Riki stared down his shoes.

"We won't be easily intimidated by some teacher," Guy said.

Iason finally caught Guy's possessive gaze. The Blondie merely raised an eyebrow, which caused Guy to stiffen angrily.

Toma, Ru, and Sarius watched this exchange out of the corner of their eyes, transferring this information almost telepathically to each other. This would be a delicious ingredient to their recipe for gossip, that's for sure.

Xian saw this and foresaw something ominous; Iason was only too quick to get in contact with Riki again, and to make them stay for this ridiculous conversation with a bunch of mongrels who wanted to intermingle with them almost as much as the Blondies wanted to mingle, which was with much reservation.

And then again the air got still, but Iason was most composed, sliding his eyes over the mongrels with what seemed to Xian as intense interest. What was Iason seeing in the ragamuffins? Xian glanced quickly at Juthian, but his eyes stilled on him as the mongrel flashed a smile at him. His teeth were rather white, if a bit crooked. Xian has never seen crooked teeth. He turned his eyes away and saw another terrifying scene.

Even Raoul! The Blondie stroked the small part of the picture that was Yui, then took out a pencil, erased it, and drew it again, then erased it, and drew it once more. He turned the picture upside-down (for what reason, Xian had not a clue) and was satisfied.

And Omaki, crazy Omaki, grinned foolishly, possibly enjoying every moment of the awkwardness between the two groups. Heiku seemed the only one to have hold of his senses, examining his nails. Though Xian could be delusional on this- wasn't nail-examining one of the best ways to avoid a person's gaze?

Where was the interest?

Xian could in fact see the interest, though he suppressed it. The mongrels were kind of cute, tiny (except for Katze and Daryl), dressed in their pieced and holey clothing, with proud shoulders and sturdy stances. Their flirtatious and obnoxious personalities, for the most part, and their taunts were almost comedic in nature, but astonishing. And did the mongrels have any idea about personal space? Not at all.

Case in point, Juthian finally came up to him and demanded, "What happened to your eyes?"

"Nothing happened."

Juthian rolled his eyes. "So you were just born with it?"

"Yes."

"I see, it's genetic... I wonder what happened?" Juthian asked no one in particular.

"It is just a birth defect."

"Defect? I don't think so. It's quite a boon, unique, kind of."

Xian couldn't help but smile. Never in his life would he ever consider his mutation a boon, but it was the first time anyone said his eyes were unique. He began to feel quite warm inside.

"Put it into perspective- there are a billion creepy Blondies all with blue eyes. If there was a like a parade, no one would stand out, except you. Just imagine! No one would remember anything but you!"

"And I guess all that attention should be a source of happiness for me?"

"It isn't?"

"No, it is not."

Juthian cocked his head to the side, something Xian didn't see often done. "If you don't like the attention, why don't you wear contacts?"

Xian murmured, "Blondies don't wear contacts. It would be further stigmatizing."

"But no one would notice you wearing them," Toma said.

"Face it," Juthian slyly commanded, "You _like _the attention, even the bad attention. It makes you special."

Xian silently observed Juthian's shoulder, hidden underneath a ripped blue T-shirt.

"Maybe a little," he conceded.

Juthian smacked him on the arm, startling Xian. "Don't be so stiff!" Juthian looked to the rest of the Blondies. "You're the only one, Xian, that seems to be so nervous."

(Of course he wasn't the only one nervous!)

Xian believed that, too, but he couldn't help it.

"But don't worry about it, dude. _Again_, it makes you unique."

Xian didn't quite know what to say to this, and so he said nothing, to which Juthian rolled his eyes again. The mongrel looked at a fancy watch on his wrist. Xian saw the watch as quite incongruous to the rest of Juthian's roughed-up apparel. He was sure the watch was a Gorgianni. Those were very expensive, and it took quite a few allowances to garner enough cash to buy one.

"We better go guys- rush hour's about to start!"

The Blondies looked at one another.

"What's so great about rush hour? The streets are full of people then and no can move."

The mongrels looked at each other.

"We like people," Norris, the one who thought of the war comment, said, and the rest of them erupted into laughter.

After the laughter died down, Riki waved them to the vans, and they began to walk, without even a goodbye, except for Yui and Daryl, both who waved shyly to the Blondies.

Omaki called after them, "We should try this again this time!" A few of them turned their heads, rolling their eyes and laughing. And Juthian...

Juthian turned around and blew them a kiss, but looked directly at Xian.


	4. Safer

AN: I have an announcement! This is a fanfic of Taming Riki and Ai no Kusabi, and the titles belong to their respective owners. So Omaki, Xian, Toma, Ru, Yui- all those people are Kira Takenouchi's, not mine! Just to make sure, because it seems like some of you may not have read Taming Riki, though I really recommend it- a lot. Kira Takenouchi's Taming Riki is available at kirafixdotcom. Enjoy.

**Unico Luna Angelo: **Glad you enjoyed it. This chapter is a shy bit dark… Not so much cuteness this time around… Hope you enjoy it still.

**Pcolka**: Me too! But I only thought that after you did~ Thanks for the review!

**Hespera Nova**: If you have read Taming Riki, you would know who would go with Omaki~ c: And no, I don't intend to keep this T-rated, hence this chapter, but it won't get real gritty till later. There will be plenty of violence, though, haha.

Enjoy! Sorry for it being so short! Longer chapter next time around!

Safer

_Two Weeks Later in Midas_

Raoul accompanied Iason on a leisurely stroll through Midas. At least, that was what it was supposed to be.

They had two more weeks of summer vacation, and school was closing in fast, they knew it. They still had plenty of summer projects to undertake, homework to finish (Raoul hadn't started on anything but his art, and he was still in the process of editing his paintings until they looked absolutely fantastic), and they just plain needed rest.

Iason and Raoul had chosen a scenic route back to the Eos house they shared with their friends, who were all trying to do some work or another (Xian was actually sleeping atop his psychology book). It was a little close to dark, and Raoul was getting antsy over the rapidly crouching sun.

"We should call a taxi- or at least rent a car, Iason," he said, looking at the orange star.

"There's no reason to waste money on those type of things, Raoul."

Iason was quickly glancing down alleyways.

"You want to meet him again, don't you?"

"Meet whom, Raoul?"

"You know exactly who I'm talking about. What fascinates you about that mongrel?"

"What about your mongrel?"

Raoul started. "Now what are you talking about?"

Iason looked at him. The Blondie raised his eyes in surprise, but only said, "If you don't know who I mean, then nevermind."

Raoul honestly didn't know who he meant (he was of the sort who didn't notice much of anything unless it was directly on the surface; he was not that deep of a thinker- except when he was nagging). He decided to tuck it away into the back of his mind. The mongrel was evidently not that important if he couldn't bring him... or her, up in his memory.

And then Raoul thought of Yui (but didn't link it up with Iason's earlier question). He still didn't have the boy's face drawn right, and he had to redraw the large sketch all over again. He decided to do the portrait- another requirement of the art project- on Yui. He had drawn Yui's face enough times that he didn't need the mongrel to sit for him. Yui had such a pretty face to Raoul.

"Let's take this route," Iason suddenly said, careening to the left through an alley.

"It's almost dark, Iason! You want to go down some dank corridor with who knows what sort of creatures roam?"

"I don't think dank is the right word."

"Who cares? You know what I mean!"

"If you're scared-" Iason stopped, eying him over his shoulder with a cool stare. "-you're more than welcome to take the safer way."

"And leave you alone?"

"And leave me alone."

Raoul growled, "Like I would do that."

And so Raoul followed Iason off the stable sidewalk into the uncertainty that was ahead.

They passed the homeless, harmless standing around gambling die in circles. They saw mongrels, who watched them in utter surprise, but none of them followed the two Blondies, though Raoul held his breath for a long time after they went beyond their scary circles. Children ran around their legs; there were doors back there where people sat on doorsteps in a truly dank atmosphere; smoke from a multitude of cigarettes and cigars and pipes choked them in some areas, leaving them wheezing; they tripped on bottles and cans and other trash. Most of the way through, Raoul was regretting the path he took.

Just as they were leaving the ghetto, Raoul heard a sound. He has heard heavier versions of the sound in some lewd videos that he couldn't help watch sometimes (while moving his hand furiously between his legs). Then there was laughter, plenty of laughter.

A ragged cry tore through the air.

"Shut the fuck up! You wanted this!" answered a loud whisper.

"No, he didn't," was another voice.

"Shut up, you idiot, and hold him down. These damn mongrels will rip out your heart if given the chance."

"Want me to give him a good kick to make him stop moving?" came yet another voice.

"Nah. Like it when they struggle," said the bossy voice between stifled grunts.

Iason went towards the suspicious conversation.

"What are you doing?" Raoul whispered so softly, he could hardly hear himself.

"I'm going to help the mongrel."

"You think it is Riki?"

"Does that matter? Or are you going to just let it happen?"

"It's already happening!"

Iason watched him. "Fine, let's go," and he began walking out the ghetto.

"Wait. Let's just see who it is first. That matters."

Iason raised an eyebrow and turned around again.

In all honesty, Raoul wasn't going to let Iason leave no matter what. The way Iason watched him looked drenched in disappointment, and Raoul enjoyed being in Iason's high esteem. Anything to mar that outlook would be devastating to Raoul.

So, yes, it was not because he at all cared about the mongrel.

Well, they turned the corner, just twisting their heads around in the direction of the voices. What they saw was at the same time expected and surprising. What was expected was that there was an act of rape happening, of course, but the actors were three Elite, one of which a Sapphire who was vaguely familiar to the two Blondies. He was standing off to the side watching, must have been the one to offer the kick. The boss shoved his small penis in and out of the mongrel. The mongrel was Yui.

The Elites were tall, especially for Elites. They were even taller than Iason, and he was one of the tallest Blondies in his school.

The rapists had brawn to match their wickedness and Raoul again regretted his choice, he should have just left himself in Iason's temporary poor graces. Why did he go and do this? He could have been on his way home and enjoying a cup of tea. But no, he had intervene on-

The thoughts stopped right there when the boss lifted Yui's head by the hair. Raoul could see his face. The Elites had no mercy on the mongrel: his skin split in several different places, his nose was definitely broken, and his face was generally puffed up beyond recognition. Raoul even surmised that Yui's jaw was broken (and he was right).

"When is it going to be my turn?" the Elite holding Yui down demanded, adding a whine to his voice that grated Raoul's ears.

Raoul, quickly leaving Iason in the dust, kicked this man first in the back of the head, effectively knocking him out, then the one currently riding Yui had his face dented. Before the last -the familiar one- man could get his bearings, Iason smoothly struck him from the side, from around Raoul.

It was their groans that aroused Raoul to act sensibly, and he took Yui by the elbow and into his arms, and he began to run, not quite sure where to go, but as long as it was away from the Elites. He wasn't even sure Iason was following him, and so Raoul looked back. He saw Iason, but also one of the Elites, the familiar one that Iason had struck, was running after them, gaining distance quite quickly.

Raoul quickly turned to the left and then left again, then right, right… After a few turns, doing the geometry in his head, he had done a good runaround the Elite and he stopped, breathing hard. He surveyed all four directions and surmised he had lost the Elite, but he was also lost himself. He turned to Iason, who smiled his signature small smile, a smile that both appeased and bothered Raoul. It was often a smile that proposed Iason had done all he could do and he was finished with the affairs at hand.

"His face," Iason told him, coming forward and staring down at Yui.

Raoul glanced down, not wanting to face the disfigured face once more, but was surprised to first glimpse a smooth, clean face, and then eyed the face more fully. It had completely healed, but Yui was unconscious.

"How in the world…?" Raoul gasped.

"Mongrel magic," Iason answered.

"Do you think… That perhaps the other things about them are true, as well? About the world, too… That there are animals out there beyond our imagination…"

"I wouldn't be surprised. There are already animals of the human kind that have acted beyond our imaginations."

Raoul shook his head. "This is insane."

Yui stirred in his arms, and then opened his eyes. He blinked at the unfamiliar face. Upon recognition, he jumped out onto the ground, breathing loudly.

"Are you alright?" Raoul asked.

Yui took an elbow in hand. "More or less."

"Shall we call the police?"

"They wouldn't do anything. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last."

This information disturbed Raoul more than anything has ever disturbed him, and plenty of things disturbed the Blondie on a daily basis. He felt quite useless for the young mongrel, who was a year younger than him, and was used to getting raped.

So into his morose thoughts was he that he didn't hear Yui ask a question.

"Raoul," Iason called him.

"Yes?"

"Yui asked you a question."

Raoul turned to Yui. "What?" he asked gruffly, and then an inkling popped into his head and he barked, "This isn't some nonsense about you having to pay me back, is it?"

Yui lowered his head. "I'm afraid it is. It is more of a selfish request, really."

"Yes, it is. You mongrels should just be happy that you were saved and get on with your pathetic little lives."

"I'd rather not."

"I don't want anything from you."

Yui clasped his hands together. "Nothing at all?"

Raoul hesitated, and finally answered, "Escort us out of this horrible place."

Yui smiled. "That I can do."


	5. Rally!

**AN**: Reviews! I love them! So thank you so much for reviewing. You do not know how much it means to me! And I really like this chapter, though it may get confusing for some...I did the same sort of thing with Forgotten Day... I like Omaki, always have. Thank you Kira Takenouchi!

**Unico Luna Angelo**: If only Raoul noticed what he was doing... :D Thanks for reviewing!

**shishi**: I do remember you! Thanks for reviewing so faithfully. I still have five chapters for the second part, but I don't think anyone wants to see the end of it... That's why I haven't published it. This one does have a different feel, more palatable, and not too complicated for me to keep up with or mix up on.

**Raine**: Don't worry about it; it's after several chapters that I feel like I lost people. :c So, thank you for reviewing! I love Juthian and Xian, but not as much as Raoul and Yui (and this couple coming up in later chapters that I haven't talked about yet). I do intend to write on several of the couples, but I'll definitely be focusing on certain couples more than others. After the first several chapters, I will be showing my preferences. Haha~

**can'tremembermydamnpassword**: lol. I had that problem aaaand... I DO BELIEVE. I LIKE YOUR REVIEW. SO THANK YOU!

**miyabita yami**: Here you go! Thanks for reviewing. And it's really nice of you to say that this is well-written. I'm trying to be... how do you say it... not meticulous... but careful about the way I word things, you know? Thanks again.

Rally!

It was a time of great excitement for Omaki Ghan. Today was the day that the people of Amoi Academy, North and East Ceres, and Northern Midas were to integrate. They will share the same school, mix together at lockers, eat in the same cafeteria while standing in the same lines to get food, bash into each other in hallways, and use the same bathrooms, possibly, for the males, glancing at each other's penises curiously. The girls' hair would mingle together on the floor of the bathrooms. Actually, that also went with the guys.

Anyway, all this greatly excited Omaki, who was getting bored of school and already had senioritis, though he was only a junior. Currently, he sat in the way back of the bus with his friends. The back of the bus was usually reserved for seniors, who would curse and drink wine while being a good ways away from the eyes and ears of the bus driver, but the bus only had juniors aboard, and so the coolest sat in the back.

The hover bus came around to the five houses on 28th street: the Mink House which had Iason, Heiku, Xian, Raoul, and Omaki; the Xuuju House that had Yousi Xuuju, Omaki's best friend though a stranger to his House; Iman House where Yutaku Iman, who Omaki has named his nemesis, and the Bloom and Lee Houses. The ten people of those Houses were more like frat brothers than Blondie friends; they were composed of very arrogant Blondies who all thought that Iason's friends weren't worth their presence, but Iason was the crème de la crème of the very school, and so they were at the very least seemed tolerable to the others. However, not Aro Bloom and Jaden Lee. Best friends and leaders they were, and both envied the power Iason wielded (and were not just a little offended that Iason had rebuffed their attempts to be his friends).

Even in Junior Academy the failed Blondies Megala Chi, Nico Tathens, and Aether Illini were his friends, and they eventually had their hair turned completely white and were sent off to one of Midas's interplanetary schools. There was a rumor that went around that said that Nico and Aether really made an impact, and were quite popular. Now there was a new rumor that they all would be coming back. And there were more Platinas who were for sure coming back to the Eos school: Enil Tapani King, Kyle Rhys, and Vaessi Mils. These three used-to-be Blondies had been into music since the Elementary Academy days and were dyed during the first month of Junior Academy. They had also been a part of Iason's large group.

To Jaden and Aro, Iason seemed to attract freaks, but it wasn't Iason's fault. The freaks were just desperate and Iason indulged in them.

Omaki was glad for this favoring, though he didn't count it as such. He sat next to his friend Yousi who, because of his busy schedule, couldn't hang out with him as much. He was, ironically in the eyes of the two Blondies, the Chairman of the Student Council. Votes got him there, though he really shouldn't be in charge no more than Omaki should be. They were responsible for some of the biggest school pranks, and they already had in mind what the Senior Prank would be. It had to be bigger than the rival school Elite Star Academy prank whereas Omaki and Yousi and a truckload of followers (some of them traitors of Star Academy) taped black paper to all the windows they could reach. They first thought of painting the windows, but that was deemed too dangerous, and plus, if they were caught and had to clean up, it would be a pain-in-the-ass.

Aro could be heard quite easily from that back as he sat in the front.

"I can't believe some dirty mongrels will be tainting our school." He had been saying some variation of the sentence he had just spoken for the past five minutes and each time his minions would cheer him on. Omaki was hard to anger but by now he was beginning to get a little irritated at Aro's banality and lack of imagination.

Cupping his mouth to make his voice louder, Omaki said while sinking further in his seat, "You should start a petition!"

And Aro, quite predictably, pretended he hadn't heard Omaki's yell but did offer, "Maybe I should start a petition? How many people do you think would sign it? Did you know that there will mongrel teachers?"

And so the petition started, gaining the votes of most of the bus, including the people of Iman's and and Xuuju's House, though neither of the Blondies themselves or the people of the Mink House. It would garner plenty of votes by the time the day was over.

"Why did you do that?" Yousi asked, shaking the hair out of his eyes as he pored over last-minute homework. "Why didn't you just tell him to shut up?"

"It's more interesting this way, and, besides, he wouldn't have listened to me. He never listens to me."

"But you can actually send the mongrels back."

"I doubt that the petition will make that much of an impact. There is a reason the school board will enact something so controversial as combining an Elite school with a Ceres one."

"Really?"

"Think about it, they must have known that outrage will follow their decision, so they must have strong reason for doing it."

"Now that I have thought about it, that does make sense. I wonder what their reasoning is… Do you think it might be from Jupiter?"

"Could be… That'll be weird, though. Why would Jupiter want to integrate the schools?"

Yousi snorted. "Why would anyone want to integrate the school?"

"To cause total chaos?" Omaki proffered.

"That's only _you_."

"And _you_."

His friend laughed. "True."

As they came closer to the school, they saw other hovering buses join them, from other streets and soon, from other school districts. They stopped at a red light. They were close enough that the yelling on one bus could be heard from another.

Jaden leaned out the window and yelled, "Shut up, you mongrels! Go back to the slums!"

Rowdily, the rest of the bus joined him, except for a select few. The jeering pounded the ears of these Blondies, but they watched with excitement on their faces, especially on Omaki's, to see what the mongrels would do.

They did not disappoint. They stood simultaneously and began to chant, "F-U-C-K," came from the front of the bus and the rear answered, "F-U-C-K!" The front again: "Y-O-U!"

"Y-O-U!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"F-U-C-K!"

"F-U-C-K!"

And the chant repeated over and over, with more vigor each time, overwhelming the Blondies to the point that they sat down abashedly, defeated. Omaki saw the mongrels laugh and the thrusting of their middle fingers outside the windows of their bus.

The mongrel bus and the other buses followed single file into the bus parking lot and the drivers let out their students apprehensively, knowing that putting all the different students in the same spot was like lighting a short fuse. It was only a matter of time before someone blew up on another.

But the parking lot was filled with teachers watching carefully. Some were familiar to Omaki, like Tellin and Bachovsky and the principal Konami Sung, one of the most dreadful men Omaki ever had the displeasure to meet. Omaki thought him most dry and often thought of him as the Raisin man, a shriveled Prune, a wrinkled Cranberry. But it aggravated Omaki to no end that Sung was one of the most attractive Blondies there was, for an old guy that is. Why couldn't he look like an old man like he was? Tellin looked older than him, and he was at least twenty years younger.

Well, the teachers watched. One of the teachers smiled at him- at him and his friends, and they all stopped, for they felt that there was something familiar about this teacher. His hair went down to his knees, hair that was both neon blue and platinum colored, eyes an enveloping blue, unassuming, warm. The teacher wore a short-sleeved girlish blouse and a definitely girly skirt with dress shoes. A white bow at the neck finished the white-and-blue outfit. The bow was stuck to the right side and this was the way the teacher cocked his multicolored head, smiling a smile that had Omaki remembering exactly who he was.

"Nini?" he asked, not quite believing it but at the same time hoping it was really true.

In the deep voice he remembered so well, because it went so strangely with the rest of the rather effeminate look, Eadni Elusiax answered, "I'm glad you remember me, Omaki."

"Nini!" Xian exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"

Raoul, Heiku, and Iason all stopped (Yousi wanted badly to stay but the school board had to make their way to the gym to set up for the first pep rally of the day, which was to happen soon). Along with Omaki, they were surprised to see their preschool caregiver a little more than nine years later.

The Blondies crowded around Eadni, some towering over him.

"My, to imagine I used to change your diapers," Eadni teased, looking up at them. "You boys will be late for the rally if you stand around like this."

"Why is your hair blue, Nini?" Heiku asked.

Eadni shrugged. "It's the color I chose when I decided to teach at North Ceres."

"You teach in Ceres?" they cried, with various degrees of surprise and loudness.

"Yes," was the calm answer.

"But," Xian blinked sadly, "you used to take care of Blondies. You were a Platina. Now, you're just a Sapphire."

Another shrug. "I believed my help was needed elsewhere. Now, boys, you should really get going. The rally starts in just five minutes."

Eadni was right, they did have to go. They parted ways, however reluctantly. Omaki stayed behind for a bit.

"What class are you teaching?"

"Home Economics."

Omaki frowned, turning to go. Home Economics wasn't a realistic class for Blondies to take. They had no intention of having families other than servants, and they wouldn't have to cook for themselves or worry too much about their health. Still, Omaki had room for electives so even if it wasn't a practical class to take, he fully intended on changing his schedule to give room for Home Economics.

They headed to the gym. Omaki was again excited. He had bumped into several mongrels on the way there and each one cursed him almost by instinct rather than malice. He saw Iason out of the corner of his eye; the rather stoic Blondie looked this way and that for whom it was too easy to guess. His searching was rewarded.

Riki was ahead of them, and Omaki watched with amusement as Iason made his way through the crowd to stand right next to him. Omaki and the rest followed him and came face to face in the crowded hallway with the mongrels they had met two weeks ago, shooting the shit for a little bit before they left to do some mysterious business.

Riki, tails wagging slowly, shook hands with Iason, as if they were meeting for the first time.

"What's up, Blondie?" Guy demanded, maliciously one may add.

Iason ignored him, and said instead. "Perhaps we can sit together."

Riki shook his head, laughing. "Nah, man," he said. "No one's gon' be sitting with no Blondies."

"Are you one to do what everyone else is doing? Just tuck your tail between your legs and follow the crowd, hm?"

"Oi, that's a low blow! I just don't wanna cause no trouble."

"Oh? I see. You're scared of trouble."

Omaki smiled to himself. It was obvious Iason to him was desperate to sit next to Riki during the rally, though it showed not a bit on Iason's face. Omaki had an easy time reading even on the stoniest of faces. He knew, too, that Xian had magic with his eyes, knew he was lying when they had asked him when they first met him whether or not he could see through walls or dead people; he lied to them about both. But Omaki didn't push it; he knew when to back off.

The gym doors were momentarily closed, probably because the decorations hadn't been set up completely yet. In that time before they opened Omaki heard a familiar voice call his name. He turned around.

"Omaki! Omaki! It's me!"

The middle-to-high-pitched voice and beautifully curly hair could only belong to one person and that person was Nico Tathens. He was followed by Kyle Rhys and a gigantic form of a Ruby who Omaki narrowed down to some teacher he didn't know that just happened to be following Nico, or Aether Illini, grown to a giant. He was definitely taller than Iason, and just then took the spot as the tallest person in school. How tall could he be? Seven feet? Six-foot eight was the lowest Omaki dared to go.

Nico caught up with them. "Omaki! Heiku! All of you! How fabulous that you guys all still hang out with each other!" He took all their elbows in turn and kissed both cheeks, much to the other's embarrassment, while Omaki enjoyed the foreign greeting. He thought it was great that Nico developed it.

Nico wore lipstick and eye shadow and mascara and eyeliner. He wore just enough of them to not make him look gaudy but at the same time it brought out his features quite nicely. He had embraced his girly looks and made something androgynous. His curly hair framed his face, and he shook his tendrils out of his eyes. The hair wasn't Platina-colored. It, too, was red like the giant's behind him. Kyle's hair was blue, a step below red.

"What happened to your hair?" Heiku asked.

"We got it dyed."

Omaki rolled his eyes. Nico wasn't the sharpest knife in the rack, though, granted, he was a mathematical genius. It was the biggest paradox.

"Oh, you mean _why_? Well, you can't have a lover while being a Platina- so we got kicked down to Ruby. And musicians can't be Platina, or Ruby, at least not the kind of musicians Kyle and Enil _and_ Vaessi want to be, so…" Nico shrugged. He narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to be like those other Blondies who act as if we don't exist are you. I attempted to talk to Aro and he just laughed at me."

"Of course not, Nico," Iason answered smoothly. "You're always a welcome friend."

Nico beamed. "Sorry we didn't keep in touch. The powers that be said we were cut off from our 'old life'."

"No problem."

Nico suddenly clapped his hands together. "A wolfie!"

Riki, who had turned around to talk to his friends, turned around again, saying, "Wolfie?" before Nico was upon him, pulling at his ears.

"So cute! Wolfie's ears are so much bigger that foxes' and cats'- Oh, my gosh, are you guys little cubs?" He spoke to Ru, Sarius, and Toma, then touched Toma's ears. Toma craned his neck into the hand, his face contorted in pleasure, before he smacked Nico's hand away.

"They're sensitive! You just don't touch the ears!"

"You're so cute!"

By then, Nico was in the middle of the throng of humanoid mongrels.

"Can any of you morph?"

"We can," said several of the mongrels. Behind them Elites and Blondies glued their eyes on the odd Elite that so comfortably put his body amongst the inferior mongrels'.

"I've only seen a few mongrels morph before. It's so cool. I would ask you to change now, but I understand that you rip through your clothes when you do."

"What's morph?" Xian asked.

"It's when they change completely into their animal form. Like the wolfies turn to wolves and the cubs turn to bears and so on and so forth."

"Are you serious?" Xian's eyes widened. "That's so cool."

"Isn't it!"

"I see that you've made family among the mongrels," Aro said out of nowhere, appearing behind Iason. Iason swiftly moved away. This parted the hallway, with the mongrels and Nico and friends on one side and Aro and his pawns on the other side.

"What's the matter with mongrels?" Nico retorted. "Better than some snobby Blondie who can't change his own diaper."

At the laughter that ensued, Aro blushed. "You're nothing but a failed Blondie."

"Yes, we got that, like, six years ago. Got anything new?"

"How about I knock that smirk off your face?"

"Ooooooo," said the audience immaturely. Omaki joined them.

Aether stood before Nico. "You'll have to get through me first," said the tenor voice.

"You have to hide behind this monster? You're a coward."

Aether hands shook. Even Omaki thought Aro went too far with calling Aether a monster, and he usually reveled in strife.

"Don't get me wrong, Aro. I simply have a thing at hitting ugly faces," Nico stuck out his tongue.

"And you touch this guy?"

Nico whirled around Aether, stomping towards Aro before Aether pulled him back by the shoulder.

"You insult him again!"

"And what are you going to do? Throw your lipstick at me?"

"I'll throw my fist into your ugly face! The only reason you talk shit is because you have a puny dick and don't know what to do with it!"

Aro's mouth dropped. He's never been insulted in such a manner before. Before he could shake off the insult and answer, Nico screamed at him, "And when you see a real man like Aether you can't lift a finger! I bet you, you wouldn't last five seconds in a round with Aether."

"I don't have anything against Aether. It matters how long I can last with you, and I think I could last a long time."

"I don't think so," Aether said. "Come on, Nico. He isn't worth it."

"He called you a monster!"

"I don't mind."

Just then the gym doors opened. Aro smirked smugly and walked with his laughing friends through the door.

"Come on, big guy," Sarius took Aether's arm, pulling him towards the doors.

"Hey, people like him aren't worth the trouble, like Aether said," Toma said to Nico.

"Thank you, cubby."

"Please don't call me cubby."

Iason followed close behind Riki and the others followed suit. Omaki smiled at Guy's apparent outrage as Iason stood so close.

Omaki had hoped that the confrontation between Aro and Nico would escalate to physical blows, but he was disappointed. Still, he held the belief that he would get to see some sort of fight sooner or later.

Omaki noticed that the gym was quieter than he has ever heard it. The crowd was apprehensive, tension thick enough to cut through. The Blondie could see many try to section off into their own groups, but there wasn't enough time, not enough space to accommodate their wishes, and so they mixed. The Midas kids joined the young men and women from Ceres, those of the Eos school had to sit next to mongrels. (Little did they know that the bus drivers were ordered to organize in such a way that they students had no choice but to mix- otherwise, all the buses from Midas, Ceres, and Eos would have been separated quite neatly.)

When everyone sat, one could hear a pen drop as the silence filled the room.

The students waited quietly.

There was a podium in the middle of the court, a court that has felt few basketballs or volleyballs or birdies, for the school was mostly Blondies, and Blondies didn't play sports like that. Calisthenics was more their style. Anyway, on this podium the teachers and faculty members gathered, sitting in neat rows. There were a lot of them, Omaki observed, more than he thought was possible in the school. Behind the teachers, there were four large screens facing the different parts of the audience, in a box-like structure. It was a familiar shape that meant that the audience would be looking at videos streamed to the screens. And various members of the student council stood around the podium.

The Headmaster came to the microphone.

"I'll like to welcome you all back to school. It is a joyous occasion for us all that Amoi Academy now encompasses all those who live in Amoi."

The richer half of the crowd grumbled at this.

"I know many of you may be wondering why we chose to do this. To put it simply, one of the students suggested the integration to an academic advisor and we chose to follow through." The audience murmured excitedly. "There will be new rules put into place as we adjust to the new surroundings.

"First, the word mongrel will be erased from your vocabulary, even those of you who refer to yourself as a mongrel. It is an offensive and degrading word that we do not have any use of here. Secondly, we have a demerit system, similar to being 'written up' in other schools. However, instead of three demerits earns you a suspension on your permanent record, it will be five demerits. We understand that there will be plenty of confrontations and not all of them will end peacefully, yet, we want all of you to try your best."

Headmaster Sung let this information sink in before continuing, "Thirdly, in physical education, there will be the added standard for magic."

The crowd went into an uproar and someone yelled out above everything, "Blondies can't do magic!"

"Yes, they can."

The crowd quieted immediately.

"But more on that later. Fourth, there are more than ten new clubs added to the roster of student activities and there will be an unspoken standard that everyone is required to join at least two clubs, whether it is badminton or the film society. Fifth, the offer to exchange classes will be lengthened to a month instead of a week. Please consult with your academic advisor about changing your schedule."

"A whole month? Who needs a whole month to change their schedule?" Raoul inquired.

"And here are some miscellaneous notes: there will no longer be assigned seats in the cafeteria; there will be seven minutes between classes instead of four; the announcements at the beginning and the end of the day will be run by the student council; the weekly news on the weekend will be hosted by the film society; and there will be added hovering cameras just for the sake of safety."

"Yea, right," Riki said aloud. "They just think us mongrels gon' shank somebody."

"Shank?" Iaosn said questionably.

"Yea, like stab with a knife or somethin'."

Iason lifted an eyebrow.

"Without further ado, we would like to prove to you that Blondies can do magic. We have been planning the integration for over a year and let the information leak out only this summer. In preparation, we already added the standard of magic for the senior class of Junior Academy, last year, and they are now our freshmen class. Granted, few have actually been able to tap into their supernatural resources, but it can be done."

"Why are you making us do magic?" Aro yelled.

"Because, Aro-" There was noise behind the Blondie as Nico and the rest laughed. "-As Amoi allows more diverse people into its borders, there comes even more dangerous criminals. The freshmen class has already dealt with some of these criminals, and everyday a Blondie is kidnapped, most days up to ten, believe it or not, and it is because Blondies cannot do anything against magic."

"You think that's true, Omaki?" Heiku asked.

"I believe it."

"Why would anyone want to kidnap a Blondie?"

"Blondies," the Headmaster went on, "are a very popular commodity, shipped all over the quadrant. Young Blondies, we've researched, are sold as sex slaves. Every few years a busload is taken."

"I don't believe it," Xian gasped.

"I do," Riki murmured.

The Headmaster was talking. "The numbers are much higher for Ceres children, so we think that they will benefit from our physical training as much as we will benefit from their magic. It is a win-win situation. And now, we shall play you a recording from several security cameras. This was supposed to be a field trip to a zoo. One of the buses was headed by one of our drivers who, tempted by money, lead the eight graders to a warehouse. Play it."


	6. Fight in Common

**AN**: A VERY fun chapter if you really put your mind to it! I love it.

Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming so that this story will continue!

**Unico Luna Angelo**: You didn't log in, lol. How can I really trust it is you? c: This is what's going to happen to the eighth graders. Nothing bad, nothing bad at all.

**Shishi**: I just really liked that name, haha. Something I just made up, is all. I love classical music as well. :D

**Hespera Nova**: Omaki is a perv, thanks for noticing. Sorry about all the characters! I tend to take on a lot like that… Hopefully, it does get better for you. Who's going to get Guy…. Hehehe….

**FantasyFreaker**: Thank you for the review! Sorry but I have a hard time following your review… But, thank you so much anyway! And it is not for entertainment for them, it is to show them how much they need magic... ^^;

I do not own the songs I sample. I just like sampling them. They belong to the people the belong to!

Fight in Common

The screens immediately showed two rows of seats in a hover bus. Two Blondie teachers sat at the front, looking back at the laughing younger Blondies.

The camera hovered over one Blondie.

"Aertis! What's wrong?" said a Blondie next to the boy who was the focus of the camera. He was staring out the window.

"I have a bad feeling about this, Mrir."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… This isn't the way to the zoo."

"Maybe he is taking a shortcut," said a Blondie in the seat behind them.

"Sit down, Zusin!"

Zusin sat down, disappearing from view.

Through the window, the warehouse could be seen. The bus drove into its parking lot and one of the teachers could be heard saying, "What are you doing?"

From the warehouse, several men ran, all wearing unremarkable masks, led by a man that was obviously an alien. His skin was green, what showed behind the mask that is, the rest covered by armor. Unlike the others, he didn't carry a gun.

"Oh, no…" someone could be heard saying.

The men surrounded the bus. The camera angle changed, proving there was more than one camera, to show the bus driver exiting the bus and the two standing teachers, who were using their hands to gesture for the students to sit back down.

"What's going on?"

"Just calm down, boys."

"Who are those guys?"

"Calm down! Sit down!"

Behind the teachers two men with guns, large laser guns marched onto the bus, ordering, "Everyone put your hands up! Get off the bus! Put your hands up!"

The students and teachers did as they were told. There were frantic looks everywhere.

One criminal pointed his gun at the camera.

"Don't bother," said the green alien. "They're impervious to purely physical attacks."

"Good thing we're wearing these masks."

The alien merely grinned at the camera.

The boys and teachers were sectioned off into two rows, and the green alien towered over them as their arms were behind their heads and they were pushed to their knees. Without preamble, he pointed to a Blondie kid and the kid was pulled up and away to the warehouse.

"Why are they taking him?" Mrir asked.

The teachers, faces pale, looked down submissively.

"Why are they taking him?"

The green alien came up close to Mrir, and Mrir looked up, putting his face right in the line of the alien's shining fist. He collapsed to the ground and Aertis, on his knees beside him, shouted in fear.

"Shut up, boy, or you're next."

But Aertis's face filled with anger, yet he looked down anyway.

The green alien chose other Blondies children.

The audience noticed that the Blondies the green alien chose were a bit handsomer than the rest.

The green alien chose Mrir, Zusin, and then Aertis last, but when one guard took Aertis by the elbow, Aertis punched him square in the face, effectively knocking him out. Two more guards tried to subdue him; Aertis sidestepped a charge and punched the man in the stomach, then pivoted on one foot to kick another man with his other foot. He dropped his body into a stance the Blondies in the gym noticed as a weaponless fighting stance.

"Don't be a hero, boy," the green alien said, somewhat tiredly.

"Rather be a hero than some sex slave… or worse," Aertis said uncertainly. "And you're going to kill the rest of them that don't go with you, right?"

The alien grinned again with his yellow teeth gleaming.

"You people kidnap Blondies all the time, but no one tells us kids anything because they don't want us to worry. I hear it though."

"You hear correctly. But don't you want to live through this, kid?"

Aertis shrugged his shoulders, then stretched them out. "Not if it means my friends aren't."

"Sweet, but that's too bad."

The camera showed in slow motion the green alien run towards Aertis, punching him with a fist full of shining light in the stomach and into the air. The camera resumed normal speed as Aertis flew upwards and landed directly on his feet, though he wavered a bit as he regained his breath. He coughed up blood.

"Was that more magic?" he asked.

"I'm surprised you're still standing after that. Wanna 'nother taste? Or are you willing to cooperate?" the alien asked in his gargling voice.

Aertis was looking down at his hands. "So that's what it feels like…" He looked up, grinning madly, coughed up more blood. "Come at me again!"

"Aertis, stop!" Zusin yelled. "Let's just go."

This roused Mrir from his unconsciousness.

"You little fool," the alien growled, launching again.

A light left Aertis, a large inescapable ball of magic that hit the alien in the face and sent him sprawling back with a smoking head.

"Woo!" yelled Aertis, jumping up in excitement. He abruptly stilled when the alien got back to his feet. He hacked up a bit more blood with his eyes open.

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen, sir," Aertis said politely.

"Never killed a fourteen-year-old," the alien muttered.

"What?"

The alien ran towards him again, and the camera again slowed down. In the point-eight seconds it took for the alien to close distance, a large sword appeared in Aertis's hand; his face was held in a grimace as he swung the sword. The flat end had the alien flipping off to the side head over heels. Bright flashes of light burst on his face and again his body was smoky.

The alien got up quickly and charged, growling aloud. This time, Aertis was completely ready, waiting patiently before twisting his body into his heavy, glowing sword and whacking the alien a good one. The alien slammed into the side of the warehouse.

When the alien didn't get up from this, Aertis turned to the other men holding his friends hostage. He brandished his sword, and the camera now slowed down _for him_. Still, he managed to be merely a blur. He knocked the guards out with the flat ends of his sword. There were only about ten of them left and he made quick work out of them, none of them readying themselves in time to shoot him.

The students and teachers crowded around Aertis.

"You're doing magic!"

"You're a good child, Aertis."

"That was awesome!"

"How did you do it? "

The other teacher was already on the phone with the police. "Can you trace this number?" he asked, "I don't really know where we are. You already- yes- yes- good. We'll wait." He hung up. "Authorities will be coming soon. In the meantime we need to find a safe place-" He broke off.

The alien was getting up again, slowly but surely.

"Why won't he stay down?" Aertis said sorrowfully. "I'm getting tired."

"You are?" several others worried aloud.

"I'm not used to using magic…"

"Then you have to show us how you do magic! We can help you!"

"But… But it just came to me when he hit me really hard."

Mrir said, "I think I feel it- I feel it! Does it feel like, like, being full of energy or something?"

"Yea!"

"But what do I do now?"

Aertis frowned, then shrugged, "Whatever comes to you naturally."

There was a roar. The alien again.

"I got this," Aertis said, confident again and holding the others back. The others in turn started back on the bus, except for Mrir and Zusin.

"Hit me," Zusin commanded.

"What?"

"Hit me, as hard as you can."

"Why?"

"Why, else? So I can help you… And I can't help you against him if I don't have magic."

Mrir didn't have time to answer as the alien slammed into him. With both forearms holding back the alien, he did a good job of not being slammed back too far. Mrir's whole body shone with light, and when he stopped glowing, where there should have been clothes was instead thin silver armor. A shield on the left arm held the alien back, and a sword in the right hand stabbed through a tiny sliver of skin showing between the alien's armor.

The alien roared, holding his bleeding armpit.

"You little fucker! I'mma kill you!"

The alien's body suddenly brightened with heightened magic. His armor fell off with loud clanks and the Blondies watched as he grew another two feet above them. Naked he stood before them in thickly muscled glory.

In a deep voice, the alien roared, "Now which of you little fuckers wanna take me on?"

Mrir abruptly popped Zusin in the stomach with a metal covered hand.

Zusin, with a great huff, fell to the ground.

"Do you feel it?" Mrir whispered, watching the alien closely.

A jade staff appeared in Zusin's hand.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Who would've guessed I would have to power up for a bunch of Blondie kids who ain't never done magic before either." The alien grinned, his teeth now golden yellow and sharp. "You guys are just going to have to die quietly so I can get this over with."

The next instant, Aertis, by pure instinct, was holding him back with all his might. Being a good four feet taller, the alien had to stoop in order for his claws to get anywhere near Aertis's face.

"You know what, sir?" Aertis huffed.

"What?"

"You're at a disadvantage. You're not used to fighting shorter ones that fight back, are you?"

Aertis ducked underneath an angry swipe of the alien's large claw. The alien then screamed, reaching its inflexible arm to his back. The camera angle switched to another to show Mrir on the alien's back, his sword stuck in the shoulder blade. Mrir flipped off quickly, sword in hand, just when the alien turned around several times.

His two friends quickly joined him.

"He sucks at fighting," Zusin said.

"He's used to just knocking people out but we're Blondies," Mrir added proudly.

"Still, we can't just keep slicing off bits," Aertis warned. "He's going to get friends or level up to something worse."

"Maybe we can do that blast… thingy you did. "

Aertis held out his hand, and a solid shimmering ball of light floated in his palm, getting bigger by the second. His friends copied him, each a different color. Aertis blue, Mrir green, and Zusin a light orange. The magic lit up their faces, their excitement, their awe.

Loud bangs reported throughout the area, echoing loudly, as each Blondie let go of his beam of light. The magic was so strong that it sliced through the alien like large bullets, taking out a hunk of his flesh at each piece of contact.

The gym let out sounds that conveyed the grossness of the alien missing several parts of his flesh. At the same time, his body regenerated its lost parts.

"It's growing back!" Mrir cried fearfully. "How are we supposed to… get him if he can grow back like that?"

"We'll have to take off his head," Aertis said seriously.

"But that'll kill him."

Aertis, too, looked uneasy about that, and the Blondies looked at each other.

"We're going have to do it, and quick!" Zusin yelled finally. He swirled his staff about his head, the staff glowing with an unearthly light and his Blondie hair whipped around, snapping at the air. He swung his staff and let the magic fly. None of the beams got to the head, but the shoulders were badly eaten way.

Zusin began to pant.

"Are you tired?" Aertis asked.

"For some… reason… I'm exhausted." Zusin breathed harshly, then passed out.

"Ah, damn."

"What are we going to do?" Mrir whimpered. "We can't do magic for that long."

"Then we have to make it count. We have to get closer. He can't move and heal at the same time, I don't think."

As if on cue, the alien began to run towards them, but was not healing as he was before. Instead, a large axe materialized in his hand. He swung it, sending a crescent of green energy towards them.

The camera was destroyed, the recording frizzing out completely for several agonizing seconds before another camera took its place, showing how both Mrir and Aertis got out of the way in time, Zusin on Mrir's back.

The alien swung his axe again, towards Mrir, who swung his sword and held up his shield at the same time. The combination thwarted off the worse of the blow and sent the rest back into the alien, who howled in pain, losing an entire arm by his own devices. After this, Mrir's body went slack.

Aertis wasted no time. He jumped high into the air. The alien was too into his own pain to realize the death blow that was to befall him, and so he never had any other thought other than his arm being missing before Aertis slammed his giant sword into the alien's head. The alien didn't grow his head back; he fell to his knees, then toppled completely over.

By then, some of the guards were coming around. But the Blondie children and the teachers had the guns and Aertis was still standing, trying to rouse Mrir and Zusin. They all waited for the authorities.

Before they could arrive though, an Emerald Elite walked by, wearing no mask. (The Elite would be recognized by Yui, Iason, and Raoul as one of the men involved in the defilement of Yui. Raoul and Iason would see him as familiar, and that would be because there was a warrant out for his arrest, and on the electronic marquees that were largely ignored by the younger Blondie population was his Wanted face. But the hair color was different.)

"Hello, sir. Are you from the police?" Aertis asked.

"No."

The Elite kicked the dead alien body. "Do you know how much was on your head, Aertis?" the Elite asked, hands clasped behind his back as he spoke calmly.

Aertis frowned, readying his sword. "You mean as in money?"

"Yes. And, to let you know, I'm not here to fight. Just here to check up on things. As I can see… Things have not gone as I had planned."

"Are you here to do it yourself?'

"No… I don't have the means to do it myself. Not yet anyway. You see, there is a price on my head and I can't travel freely. Do you know how much Intuk the Boisterous was willing to spend on a Blondie like you, Aertis?"

"I don't know… About a thousand credits."

"Up."

"Two thousand credits?"

"Two million. The auction went up to two million."

"Two _million_?"

"Two million. Alas, all is lost because you killed my middleman. How unfortunate."

The gym could hear the wailing of the sirens.

"I shall take my leave," the Elite said. He bowed a bit… and disappeared straight from the spot.

The recording abruptly stopped and the Headmaster once more stepped to the microphone.

"As you can see, with a little push Blondies can also do magic."

"A little, he says," muttered Raoul.

"I will now take this opportunity to answer any questions you may have. We have an arsenal of recordings that might change your minds towards the integrity of this integration, and show you how much you all really have in common."

Several hands raised. Sung chose one randomly. It was a mongrel girl.

"What do we all really have in common? Like, we don't have nothing in common."

Immediately, the headmaster answered, "Music." He turned to the ones operating the recordings, giving them a signal. "And you will see-" he continued on, "-that the genres of music aren't as clear-cut as you might think.

"This first video is of a Ceres child playing classical music. Quite well, I might add."

The video was of Guy playing the piano, quickly running a gamut of notes expertly with the mere tapping of his fingers. The video was of poor quality, the camera shaking as it followed Guy's fingers up and down the keys. Guy had his eyes closed; he was in his own little world. His eyebrows scrunched through what should have been an easier passage, but the emotion he demonstrated by elongating the notes and pressing harder on the keys was unlike many of the audience has ever seen, except by the friends who were at this performance.

The face of Guy (in the gym) was priceless. He found his music playing to be very private; to have it displayed like some sort of example was a bit aggravating. Still, he was sort of flattered that he had set the bar.

"This recording is of a student of the Interplanetary School of North Midas, singing opera."

This one had a Platina, voicing, "Duuuuuulciiiiiiissiiiimee, aaaahahaahahaah." His voice was very much high-pitched, but clear and rung out through the gym like a heavenly bell. He was blindfolded and shaking.

"That's Megala, isn't it?" Omaki asked. "Why is he blindfolded?"

"He was nervous and couldn't bear to see the audience." Nico laughed.

"He's still that shy?"

"Yep."

"It's been years and he hasn't changed. His singing is phenomenal, though."

The next video showed an unfamiliar Blondie singing towards the end of another opera solo: "Poiche! Poiche v'ha preso stanza la speraaaaaanzaaaaaa!"

Only the back of his body \could be seen behind a door, and it looked as if the video was done by an unknown voyeur. When the Blondie was done with his song, he turned around- it was Aro- and noticed the camera.

"What the? Are you recording me?" And the video stopped.

The Headmaster came up to the mike. "The next three videos, of the same order of schools as before, are recordings of musicians- or wannabe musicians- playing less restrained music," he informed them. His face twitched in distaste.

The screens filled up with hundreds of Ceres bodies. It was obviously an outside dance party, and there was no one on the stage behind these dancers standing around waiting for the next performance.

Suddenly, three boys appeared on stage. One of them ran to a DJ, a guy just a bit older than them, said a few words and ran back on the stage.

"The butterfly, oh-oh, that's old! Let me see that tootsie roll!" yelled one of the boys.

The crowd immediately sectioned off into several rows, cheering their approval of the new song.

"Cotton candy, sweet and low, let me see that tootsie roll! Come on, tootsie roll!"

With his words the dancers worked their legs in an extravagant twist. They danced together, sliding their legs with one another when they were told to do so by the singer, dipping low and sensuously when the lyrics called for it.

The gym went wild as many of the students knew the song and sang along with the recording. A good amount of them were Midas children and a few were from Eos.

They voiced their disapproval when the recording ended prematurely, before the song was over.

"Come on, Enil, sing us a song," began the next recording.

A blue-haired Elite waved off the camera.

"I don't feel like it," he said. "Kyle is sick, so I can't sing."

"Do you always need to sing with Kyle?" asked a voice off-camera.

"Yes," Enil said stubbornly.

His audience in the empty classroom groaned. They stood around the room, as the room didn't have chairs or desks. Platinas, Emeralds, Sapphires all stood around; the audience also included a few red-headed and purple-haired citizens of Midas.

"Just one song. The dancing one, the one we all practiced."

"Fine! If it means you all will shut up then fine!"

"Alright! Start up the music!"

The music started just as the students quickly made a formation with Enil in the front. Behind him, the gym could see Nico Tathens, Aether Illini and Vaessi Mils, all dressed in spiffy outfits like Enil. The video paused.

"Just wanted to take this moment to- yes, I know you all want to see the video," the Headmaster told them all, "Just wanted to take this moment to tell you that all the different clubs of the schools have collided. So if you were in the video society at the Midas school, then you will join those who were in the film clubs of Ceres and the Academy. The music clubs- like this- will all combine and the sports and fight clubs will come together as well. If you have any questions about this, please consult your academic advisor."

The video rolled. Everyone in the video began singing.

"Dance! Boogie Wonderland~"

Again the gym initiated another round of singing to the familiar song.

"Midnight creeps so slowly into hearts of men who need-more than they-get," Enil sang by himself and the gym answered, "Daylight deals a bad hand to a woman who has laid too many bets."

Instead of stopping, the video rolled until the song ended and the singers on the recording were panting after accomplishing a number of sophisticated moves, and the whole gym was involved in the chorus of the song, a substantial number of Blondies having joined in.

The last music performance had Xian next to a piano in front of a crowd in a café.

He waved away the camera; from the quality of the video, it was a security camera.

"Go away," he told it. "Why do you always have to follow Iason?"

"It's following you," said Iason from behind the camera.

"Why?"

"Because you're somewhere you're not supposed to be."

Raoul could be heard barking. "Get off the stage, you idiot. Before you get us all in trouble."

"I just want to sing one song."

"Okay, kid," said one of the citizens with a saxophone nearby. "Whattaya want to sing?"

"Uuuuhhh… That song about Sally."

"You got it. You got the piano?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, one… One, two, three, four!"

Xian started in an excited voice:

"Gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John

He claims he has the music but he has a lot of fun

Oh, baby, YEEEEAAA, Baby! WooOOoo

Oooh, baby, gonna have me some fun tonight, yeah!"

Again the gym joined in. Xian's (of the gym) face was red.

After the whole song was done, the gym erupted into applause.

Sung went up to the microphone and said to them all, "There's no doubt that the music clubs, at least, will have something in common. I would show you more recordings, but there are classes that need to be attended."

And so, on that note, the pep rally convened and classes began.


	7. Gym

**AN**: A short chapter this time around to make room for the longer chapter next time around! I hope you like Heiku, Ima, and a little bit of Yousi!

**Unico Luna Angelo**: Me, too! I'm glad I thought of a way to make them all survive… But other kids won't be so lucky. I think by then I can't give this story a T rating anymore, haha. Thanks for the review!

**Shishi**: Thaaaaaank you!

**KittyKatPeterson**: Haha, sixth wifey? Who's one through five? I think Kira has gone AWOL again. Oh, well, she'll be back. I'm not quite sure what you're asking about the kidnap thing, but when these Blondies learn magic, all hell will definitely break loose, look forward to that. Did I call that guy a Blondie (the one that Iason beat up)? He's supposed to be just an Elite. Hahahaha, mistake! Keep reviewing and this story won't stop until it's finished!

**Hespera Nova**: Well, I just wanted to shake things up a little. I like the idea of Amoi listening to foreign music and playing music. It's fun! I'm glad things are getting better for you. I really am! And thanks for the compliment on Guy. c:

I try my best. :D

Gym

Heiku was a very serious Blondie. He lived in a very structured, scientific world. He had a plan: to study hard for his medical path, get honors in high school, go on another medical path in Blondie schooling, become a full-fledged Blondie, become a Blondie doctor through internship and move up the business ladder to be the top Blondie doctor in all of Tanagura (which is essentially all of the world). But he had his friends who seemed to be going on a different path than Blondiedom. And without them being Blondies, Heiku wasn't sure if he wanted to be a Blondie, either.

His friends seemed entranced by the new mongrels they have met. And Heiku, too, was distracted. The mongrels were rough, sensuous, vulgar, prideful, nice, mean. Their grouping made their characteristics all the worse. They were bigger than thirteen people that came for the sketch, there were many of them. But some stood out. One of which was Ima, one of the few girls, one of the most vulgar. She talked beside him. She spoke to her girlfriends, every five words some colorful word. Heiku had an urge to talk to her, to partake in the illicit conversation. He's hardly ever cursed or talked about sensitive, uncouth subjects, other than a glancing over sex and masturbation. He listened closely.

"And then he told me to suck it, and I'm like, like, it smells like eggs! Like, no way! I may be somewhat a whore-"

"Somewhat?" laughed one of her girlfriends.

"Shut up, bitch. Anyway, I'm not that much of a whore to suck any thing a man plops on my face, even for a good amount of money."

"How much would it take?"

"Five thousand credits."

"You said that quick!"

"I have a range in my head. Big and clean, three hundred, small and smelly, five thousand, and the full range in between."

"Oh, ho?" said another deep-voiced girlfriend. "I think we're making Blondie there uncomfortable. His face is as red as a beet!"

"Beets are more purple than red, I think," said Ima, then she looked at Heiku, her dark purple eyes glittering almost as much as her luminous hair. "Your name is Heiku, right?"

"Y-Y-Yes."

"Y-Y-Yes!" teased one of the girls, making four, and all four laughed at him. Heiku was sure his face got redder.

"You're Ima?"

Ima stopped laughing with a bit of effort. "Yea, and this is Jasmine, Gwen, and Mimea. Say, hi, girls."

"Hi, Heiku!" they said obediently. Two went to his left and Mimea and Ima stayed to his right.

"What class are you off to?" Ima asked, looking at the schedule in her hand. "I'm going staying in here for gym."

An excited feeling bubbled up inside Heiku. "Me, too. Physical education."

"_Physical education_," copied another girl, setting the girls off into another fit of giggles.

Mimea, also, had P.E. and so the three of them sat there inside the gym, letting the other two to go off to Amoian together.

"This place is enormous! Where does that door go to?" Ima asked.

"The swimming pool," Heiku answered, a bit proudly, knowing for sure that East Ceres didn't have a pool.

"Swimming pool!" She squeezed his arm, which made him warm inside. "That's so cool!"

"It's nice."

"What about those doors?"

"Those lead to the other buildings, like the science and humanities buildings."

"You have different buildings for different kinds of classes?"

"Yea," Heiku said, once again smug.

"That's so awesome!"

Heiku could see most of his friends, if not all, in the same class as him. It was probably the only class where they would stay together.

Yousi Xuuju was one of them. Heiku noticed a quick narrowing of his eyes when he saw Ima.

It was not lost on her. She let go of his arm quickly, and Heiku was disappointed. Her breast had been nestled softly against his elbow, because she was much shorter than him. She kept walking next to him when they went from the bleachers to the gym floor, until they met together with the rest of his friends. Off to the side of them were some of the mongrels they had met previously. Though they had sat together at the rally, they stood off to the side, and Ima went to them, leaving Heiku alone with his friends.

"I saw you getting pretty up close and personal with that Ima girl." Xian jabbed him with his elbow.

"Shut up, Xian."

Riki said to Xian, "You got some voice in ya', ya' know."

Xian blushed. "Oh, no, I was just playing around."

"Well, that makes me think…" Juthian said, "What you sound like when you get serious?"

The Blondie shrugged bashfully.

They talked around for a while, together, seen as aliens by the eyes of the other mongrels and Blondies and Elites, and others, in the class. Then Master Hwen and the co-teacher walked into the gym, pushing a large hover screen between them.

"Mony?" Xian said disbelievingly.

"What's up Xixi!" said the co-teacher, a giant beast of a man, both literally and figuratively. He was most obviously a mongrel, with a wolf tail the length of a tall five-year-old and the height of most definitely eight feet, but instead of being gangly for his height, signifying some disease that he might have, he was muscular. And muscular was an understatement. Several people backed up as he came forward, with Master Hwen in his shadow. Master Hwen was also muscular, about six feet, with a handsome-to-regular face. He did not look happy at all.

"You're… from Ceres?" Heiku asked, unsure.

"I sure am."

"But… Your hair was blue back then."

"Dark blue."

"A lighter blue than now."

Riki spoke up. "You guys know Coach Qentu?"

"_That's_ Coach Qentu? He used to help Nini-"

"Nini?"

Heiku answered. "Eadni….Eadni…" The last name escaped him.

"Elusiax?" Ima tried. "He's the Home Economics teacher. He used to…?"

Heiku continued, "He used to take care of us in preschool."

"Whaaaaaat?" cried several voices, then Yui, "What preschool? You guys have a preschool?"

"Not exactly. Young Blondies were given to caretakers, like Eadni, whereas they would take care of us until it was time for us to go to Elementary Academy. That's preschool."

"So, like, Coach used to change your diapers?" Ima laughed. "But did the powers that be allow that?"

"It was no problem as long as he was an Elite, or a foreigner. And since blue wolves are present on other planets… He could pass for a foreigner."

"Wait, wait, all of you can reminisce later!" Hwen shouted. "But right now we are in class."

"It's the first day; we can chillax," Amon told him without looking at him. If he did, he would see on Hwen's face that the man didn't have any idea what chillax meant. Amon spoke to the kids, "You know, you guys used to know each other, but some of their hair colors were different and everyone had nicknames. Ya'll remember Mama? Blondies, I mean, and Katze probably remembers."

Everyone looked at Katze. He shrugged.

"Yea, we used to know each other. Ima was Mama."

"But why didn't you tell us?" Ima asked.

Katze shrugged again. "Didn't feel like explaining. Didn't think we would ever hang out, you know."

"Ya'll met before?" Amon asked this time.

"Yea, Raoul over there needed to get a picture-"

"Paint!" Raoul corrected.

"Alright. He needed to do a painting of us for a project."

"Well, cool. How about we all introduce ourselves for anyone who doesn't know us. Ya'll will be tackling and wrestling each other, so you might as well know who you'll be trash-talking when ya' win."

So they introduced themselves. Among them in the class were Aertis and Zusin, Nico and Aether, but not Kyle or Enil, the group at the sketch except for Daryl and Toma, junior Megala Chi, who no one noticed was in the room, and several others, including another Junior named Tai, two freshmen called Askel and Freyn, and a senior named Odi. There was also Aro and Jaden. There was a collective groan from the Blondies when those two introduced themselves, looking down disdainfully at the mongrels.

"Now, we are going to be respectful to each other, right, gentlemen and gentlewomen?" Hwen barked. "There will be no fighting outside our jurisdiction and if I hear you had any altercations, you will have a punishment according to the school and from me. Who knows, I might just punish the whole class for your mistake, no matter if it has anything to do with physical education. So behave."

"With much haggling," Amon continued the speech, "me and Hwen have come to the understanding that we can teach together and we will have the students learn together, instead of separating ya'll up into… for lack of better words, Ceres kids, Midas kids, and Eos kids."

"But our experiences are different!" Aro complained. "The mongrels-"

"That's three laps around the gym when ya' bring ya' gym clothes tomorrow."

"I'm not doing any laps for you."

"Fine, then you'll fail. How will it look on your permanent record that ya' failed P.E.?" Amon snarled. "And three laps in this gym won't hurt you a damn bit."

Aro stopped talking.

"And the Ceres and Midas kids had got good training at they schools. We are all on the same plane."

"Then we don't need magic," Aro muttered.

Hwen said, ignoring Aro's comment, "And to prove it, we have a video that we made over the summer." He tapped the screen and the first video showed all three schools' gyms with the students inside doing push-ups, all in perfect unionization. They even counted the same.

"One-two-three-one, one-two-three-two, one-two-three-three!" This continued for fifteen long minutes, where some of the students began to slow and some stopped completely, arms too tired to go on.

Heiku saw himself, and he saw Ima. Ima lasted longer than he did. He looked down at her when he fell to his stomach, and Ima grinned at him.

"I'm stronger than I look," she said.

"That's for sure."

She took his arm again, ignoring Yousi's glare this time.

"I want to show a video!" yelled Nico, jumping up as if the teachers had already said yes. "It's quite pertinent to this class."

"Howja know we were showing videos?" Amon asked.

"There are always movies on the first day of school, to pass the time."

"Well, we've nothing better to do." From the bottom of the screen he ejected a small disk and took the one from Nico, who pulled it from a small purse he had. "What's it about?"

"It's when Meg, me, Aether, Kyle, Enil, and Vaessi learned how to use magic."

"Did ya'll have to fight?"

"Oh-ho-ho," Nico laughed brokenly, then his face turned completely serious. "Yes."

"Is there any way to get magic without fighting?" Heiku moaned.

"Probably not. All those that I know how to use magic got it from a life-or-death situation."

Even some of the Ceres children nodded at this, which put Heiku and some of the other Blondies in dour moods.

"It's starting," Ima said, and they all went quiet.


	8. Another Fight in Common

**AN**: Oh-hoooo! This is such a fun chapter. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like fighting and romance, isn't that just nutty? Action-romance, is what they call it right?

**Unico Luna Angelo: **Thank you! Lovely review.

Don't forget to review if you read! :D

Another Fight in Common

The recording started.

"Come on, Platinas, let's see what you're made of," came a voice behind the camera. "We hooked up this camera just to see what you can do."

"They're nothing but old Blondie shit," said an Elite off to the side, holding a ball of magic, throwing it up and catching it with the opposite hand, threw it up, caught it with the hand, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

"I can't do this," a ninth year Megala said fearfully. "There's the Grid for a reason."

"And he's just plain chickenshit."

Megala bit his lower lip as the others- Kyle, Enil, Vaessi, Meg, and Aether, all still Platinas- stood towards the vast forestland that lied ahead of them. The Grid Megala spoke of was a pseudo-scientific-supernatural barrier that kept out the creatures in the forest. It was a way into the forest, the Grid was, and it allowed gentle animals through, or people when needed. But so far in, they were at the very edge of the barrier which was visible in the cleared grass. Ancient Amoian symbols had been burned into the ground (and filled with blood, but few knew about that). Beyond the barrier, unimaginable beasts waited (No, really, they were waiting, waiting for the large group to break up, as they always did).

"We can do this!" Nico cried, turning on a flashlight. "An hour you say? We can do that, right, guys?"

"We don't know what's in there, Nico," Aether said reasonably, though still he held his own light.

"We'll probably die," Enil said pessimistically, as usual. His light swung off to the side.

"So, we're not going?" Vaessi mumbled, looking at his flashlight. His words often came out that way.

Nico shook his head. "I'm going, with or without all of you."

"Then, I will go," Aether said. "I can't leave you to go alone."

"Me, too!" Kyle stood beside them. Enil shrugged, and Vaessi walked up.

"I'm not going," Megala backed up. "I'm not going," he said again.

"Chickenshit!" shouted another Elite, and his friends joined them, two girls and three boys. Their voices were loud, grating, mean, but Megala didn't budge. He stood there squeezing his flashlight and swallowing.

Nico crossed the barrier, not looking back at the camera, and the others followed him.

"Hey, make the camera follow them!" said one of the girls. "Set it so that each one gets a turn."

Someone made it happen, and the camera was following the boys through the dark forest, focusing on Aether.

"I can't believe we let ourselves be drawn into that predicament. Peer pressure," Enil whispered, even though the forest was completely silent except for the crunching of their feet on dead leaves, grass, and rocks (and bones).

"We only have to walk for an hour… And we don't have to do that. We can just walk until we're out of their sight-"

Enil interrupted Nico, "They have the camera on us."

"Oh. Yea."

The gym students watched as they continued walking far into the forest. After about five minutes, Nico (of the gym) suggested they fast forward to the 'good part' which turned about to scarier than any of the others imagined. For Nico and the others (except for Meg), they had overcome their fear long ago, the traumatizing event far from being a fearful memory any longer. Poor Meg was too chickenshit to say anything against showing the video, and so he sat there, tortured by the memories of it, and what happened afterwards.

The good part started with the group entering a clearing. Enil was looking at his watch. He was now the focus of the camera.

"It's been forty-five minutes. We should get back."

The look of relief was on all of their faces. They did a complete one-eighty.

Nico told them to fast-forward again.

Enil checked his watch again, but the camera was on Aertis once more. Enil had stopped stopped.

"It's been an hour and fifteen minutes!"

The rest paused in their walking.

"You've got to be joking," Nico said, smiling a wan smile. He squeezed Aether's arm; he had latched onto it almost as soon as they started walking in the forest.

"Why in the hell would I joke about that? It's been an hour already and I don't even see the city lights!"

"Don't panic, Enil," Kyle soothed, putting his hand on Enil's shoulder. The Platina shook it off angrily.

"We're lost! We're fucking lost!" he screamed, panicking.

"But… How? We turned around straight the way we came…"

"We're lost in someone's magic," Aether told them.

"What?" said several voices.

"That's the only reason I can think of. Someone made us lost on purpose."

"Those bastards!" Nico cursed, his lower lip trembling.

"Not the guys who pressured us in here," Aether explained. "They may be mean, but they aren't skilled. You've seen their magic. They aren't capable of something like this, not when they can't even walk outside the Grid themselves."

"But then… Who?"

Aether shrugged calmly.

"What should we do?"

"We can only keep walking. It doesn't matter where. We may be lost forever, or the police will find us," Aether said quickly upon seeing Nico's distraught face.

"Find us dead," Enil murmured.

No one said anything. They kept walking.

It was abrupt, out-of-the-blue, completely terrifying. Several in the gym shouted in fright, including Xian, including Aro, Riki jumped, Iason's eyes widened, his brain accelerating beyond recognition.

"If you guys want to stop the video, we can," Hwen said hastily.

No one dissented or assented. Hwen took it as a no, let's not stop the video.

The camera was a blur as it tried to follow the group as half were swept by a gigantic creature's tail. It had popped out of the darkest of the foliage, a naked thing, pieced together with human parts, some of them rotting and falling off. The tail was made of several thighs grafted together, with a toeless foot at the end. Its face was made of faces, chest a barrage of torsos, its stomach held several navels. Its teeth were sharp and spread out unevenly, eyes two different colors and bulging out of their ragged sockets. It made a loud keening sound. High-pitched for something over fifteen-feet tall.

"Oh, my god," Nico whispered, on all fours. He noticed Aether lying face down some ways away. He crawled towards him. "Aether! Aether, please wake up!"

The beast started towards them, running fast (but not as fast as the green alien). Nico rolled out of the way, taking Aether over him. At this time, Aether woke up just in time for the Frankenstein's second charge.

He picked up Nico and began to run, the camera, for some reason, decided to follow Aether. It became obvious that he didn't know where to go (he couldn't see, either) for he stopped.

"Where are we supposed to go?" he asked hopelessly.

"Oh, Aether, this was such a stupid idea! I'm so sorry." Nico sniffled, then began to sob. "Stupid, stupid."

"It's not following us?"

Just as he said this, the monster slammed into them, back into the ring of flashlights. It lifted them with one large multi-handed hand, fingers thickened by more fingers, and slammed them down together.

They coughed up blood on one another.

"Don't move, Nico…" Aether gurgled. He was on top. "It's probably carnivorous."

Sure enough, the creature bent over, sniffing, then spread its split lips over Aether's shoulder, began to gnaw. Aether screamed.

"Aether! Aether! Let go of me!"

Aether held Nico in a death grip, though his shoulder was close to coming off.

Nico got an arm free and punched the creature in an eye as hard as he could in his position. The animal reared back with that sharp cry, which rang throughout the forest. Slapping its hand down, it growled through tangled teeth as Nico caught the hand over Aether's gasping form. Nico stood his ground when the tail of the animal whacked him in the side; he simply coughed up more blood. A hand hit him on the other side, the sound like a hammer to brick as Nico's ribs were crushed. He collapsed to his knees, wavering, but kept the hand at bay.

"You won't… touch Aether," Nico promised shakily. "Over my dead fucking body."

"Nico," Aether whispered, his shoulder now completely gone.

The creature took his hand back, slammed it down again. A big flash of light brightened both Aether and Nico's bodies, making the monster fall completely back. It fell on its ass.

In that turn his body glowed, Nico's clothes changed from a blouse and pants, to short-shorts and a sleeveless vest, his hair tied back in a tie. Everything was purpled, including a long whip on his right side. Aether beside him was in a loose uniform, from a pair of denim jeans and a shirt. The uniform was a dark purple. He had no weapon that was to be seen.

Nico looked down at himself, his wounds healed. "Is this magic?"

"I think so, Nico. Maybe now we stand some sort of chance."

"But," Nico said fearfully, "You don't have a weapon."

Aether told him bluntly, "I can smash him with my fists."

Aether zipped forward without another comment (running even faster than Aertis); he stopped only long enough to give a good punch to one of the monster's legs, shattering it with flashes of magic and pure Platina power (actually the power came more from his synthetic Blondieness). Nico was beside him in a second, taking off more flesh by snapping his whip. The monster no longer had the element of surprise; even by flipping its strong tail, the two Platinas lowered himself or jumped.

From behind them, the audience in the gym saw another beast of the same element as the one before them. But this one was following another flashlight.

The camera angle changed to Kyle, who was backing away with the flashlight in hand.

"Throw the damn thing away!" Enil ordered, walking backwards behind Kyle. Though Kyle followed his direction, tossing the flashlight to the side into the trees, the beast, a little smaller than the first one, continued to stalk them.

But they weren't struck by this one first. One from behind, which Vaessi shouted too late that it was standing there, swiped them to the side. They rolled helplessly on the ground; Enil's arm twisted into an awful pretzel. He cradled it as he stood, eyes tearing up with the intensity of the pain.

"I want to go home," he whispered. He stood over Kyle's still body. "Are you still alive, Kyle?"

Kyle struggled to get up. "Yea," he gasped, "Just got the wind- Your arm! Enil, your arm!"

"It hurts."

One of the beasts squealed, swinging its arms back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Kyle and Enil separated off to the side, a tactic that many knew to work with a large enemy, and it worked for the beast, which stood still, confused on which way to go for its next meal. It decided on Kyle.

Kyle dodged its jabs and swings and punches and slams, really getting into it, his body glowing with an unearthly light. His magic built up slowly until he wore nothing but a tunic wrapped around a robe, a bow and arrow in his hand. When he saw the crystal weapons in his hand, he grinned broadly and readied an arrow. While the monster charged at him, he aimed, fired, and got him in its one eye. It screamed. Kyle readied another bow.

Blinded, the monster struck everything in its path, slamming trees and rocks and everything else except any of the Platinas.

Enil, shirtless in a pair of billowing pants, jumping from a tree that he must have climbed, leapt onto the monster's shoulder and used a broad sword to hack away at its thick neck. He was drenched in its blood.

The sound of a distorted guitar clanged. Vaessi was fending off the third meldabeast with an axe, which was shaped as a metal, sharpened guitar. While deadlocked, Vaessi experimentally struck a chord on the guitar. Both he and the monster clutched their ears at the sound. Upon seeing this effect, he struck again, and a sweeter sound came from the axe, but the monster squealed in pain. Vaessi used this opportunity to strike the monster's leg, chopping it off completely. It fell forward, and Vaessi took the axe to its neck.

The angle changed to Nico, showing him pulling at his monster's neck with his whip. With Aether's punch as help, they removed its head.

"Oh, my god! We can do magic!" Nico cried, jumping up.

He tripped on his own two feet and abruptly passed out.

One by one the Platinas fell, except for Enil, though he looked absolutely exhausted.

"Oh, crap," he cursed. He began to pull the bodies to bushes, waiting there.

Through fast-forwarding, three meldabeasts came by, sniffing, but didn't take a bite.

("Why aren't they eating you?" Riki asked, absorbed in the video.

"Probably because we smell like the others. At least, that's my theory," Aether replied.

"Oh.")

Then an Elite came. He was a Ruby, though before, in Aertis's video, he was an Emerald, and for Yui he was a Sapphire.

"There's that man again!" Raoul cried.

By then, the other Platinas were awake.

"You," Aether spat. "You're the one who attacked the Junior Academy bus."

"Not often the younger ones watch the news," the Elite said smoothly, neither denying or approving of Aether's remark.

"Everyday."

"You're the one who put us under the spell."

"You're a smart boy, aren't you?"

"What do you want?" Nico asked, bravely standing, but Aether pulled him down.

"If he's strong enough to do such difficult magic," he explained, "then he is strong enough to kill us."

"Oh, no. I won't kill any of you. You boys are valuable commodities, and, anyway, I'm sure that all of you, having had so much rest, would make it very difficult for me to kill you."

Aether didn't look as if he believed a damn word.

"I got what I came for, that's all I wanted to say. Back home is that way." The Elite pointed, then disappeared from the very spot.

"Do you think he is telling the truth?" Enil asked.

"Yes, he is," Kyle said.

"Why?"

"I just know so. I can feel it."

The camera switched almost imperceptibly to Vaessi. When they stood and began walking, it was obvious. Fast-forward.

They exited the forest, on the other side of the Grid and back to the group that had goaded them on their misguided adventure.

"What the fuck?" said one of them.

"What the?"

"How in the… Oh, my god!"

The Elites ran towards them, helping them to cars and bikes.

"I bet we don't look so hot," Kyle laughed.

The Elites looked at each other with pale faces. "That-That-That isn't it," one of them stammered. "You were only gone a few seconds!"

The humor quickly drained from Kyle's face.

"No way! Look at my watch!" Enil showed them his watch and then explained what had happened.

One of the girls said softly, "You were gone… You were gone only a few seconds, we swear. Look at my watch." She showed them her watch.

"You guys were caught in some bad voodoo! I'm getting the hell outta here," an Elite said, scared out of his wits. He took his bike and left.

"Me, too."

"Me, too!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Wait a fucking minute!" Nico cried looking around them. "Where's Meg?"

The remaining Elites looked at each other again.

"He went after you guys almost as soon as you left."

"Woah… It's been three minutes since you guys came back. If four hours is a few seconds…" said another vaguely.

"Oh, no… Meg- We have to go get him!" Nico began to run towards the Grid.

Aether followed him; so quickly they ran that Vaessi, Enil, and Kyle didn't catch up when they went over the marks in the ground.

And snapped right back, turned around, panting and covered in more blood.

"How long were we gone?" Nico inquired breathlessly.

"A few seconds," gasped Vaessi.

"No way! No way, no way, no way! It's been quite a few… a few…" Nico fell forward. Aether was already on the ground.

"Call the police," Kyle whispered.

Enil said, "I already did, in the Grid, and just now. I think it would register now."

During this moment's fast-forward, someone yelled, "Megala! Are you alright?"

Megala had fainted.

Nico went over to Megala. "He… He isn't over it yet. Idiot, he should have said something! I hate it when he does that!"

Amon leaned forward to shut off the recording that had frightened Meg back into the past, but Aether stopped his hand.

"He's unconscious, and Nico didn't play this video just to show off." Aether began to skip forward instead of fast forwarding. He pressed play after a long amount of time.

It had been a month before Megala stumbled out of the forest, almost in the exact same place the others went through. He was stark white, thin as a twig, hair nothing but strings. But he held strong a hammer in his hand. Only Nico was there to catch him as he fell.

"By then, the police thought he was dead," Nico explained.

The gym watched as Nico called the paramedics, the police, friends, teachers. Soon, every one of them came to support the almost-dead Megala Chi.

The same thing happened in the gym. The nurses were called and took Megala Chi to the school's infirmary. Megala wasn't seen for the rest of the day.


	9. Class for Babies

**AN: **I loooooove this chapter! It's so cute! I decided to release two chapters today because, seriously, I have 17 chapters ready… and I don't have the patience. I like having my readers reading what I'm writing at the moment, haha.

DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! I cannot stress that enough! If you review, I write! :D

To those that review: THANK YOU SO MUCH!

**Unico Luna Angelo: **Yay! You loved it! And I tried to make the monster as creepy as possible

**Raine: **Good luck on all your exams! :D Or… I hope you did well! Thanks for commenting anyway! I'll be looking out for you~

**KittyKatPeterson: **So sorry! I know there is a lot of characters… I know, I know… But that's why I have each chapter in the POV of one person. It's easier to read, right? No? Then so sorry again! Thank you for your wonderful words. It's easier than it seems… But only because I have been thinking of writing something like this for a couple years now… Since I finished Kira's stories…

**Skiestrife: **You are absolutely right! Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Here's a chapter in Riki's POV. Not much, but it's there~ And usually, if it is in someone else's POV, there's a mention of Riki or Iason, right? (or Yui and Raoul, who are my favorites, personally)

Class for Babies

"Man, they went through some shit, didn't they, Guy?" Riki asked sourly.

Guy could only nod. "I didn't think they were... Didn't think they had that sort of background in them. And that Elite! Didn't we run into him a couple of times?"

"Hell, yea."

Riki and Guy were going to General Biology, with Iason, Omaki, Juthian, and Xian, followed by Aro and Jaden. (The General Biology class was separated into two groups in one class: advanced and…not so advanced). They had to go outside where the weather was rather warm and into another building, up some stairs and down a hall.

Riki, in truth, had been through worse. Probably not as much as Meg, whatever he went through in his- how much time was he outside the Grid? (Approximately 2,592,000 seconds had passed; if three seconds amounted to about five hours, he had stayed 4,320,000 hours, equal to 180,000 days, equal to 6000 months, equals 500 years, give or take a few years)

Of course, Riki couldn't do that sort of math in his head. He used Guy's calculator and showed the others.

"He couldn't have stayed there that long," Omaki said disbelievingly. "Could he?"

"Maybe the magic causes one not to age?" Iason offered.

"That coulda happened," Riki muttered, staring at the numbers. "But wouldn't he have gone crazy?"

"I have a theory," Juthian said. "What if that Elite took him out of the Grid every once in a while?"

"Do ya' think he was after Megala?"

"Megala's… Well, he is sort of beautiful."

Riki thought of this and was blown away by what he remembered. Megala _was_ beautiful, but his personality had made him almost invisible to Riki. He looked at Guy, then the others.

"What if he did stay five-hundred years out there?" Xian spoke morosely. "That must have been hell."

"I woulda fainted, too," Guy said. The others nodded.

They got to Biology, all wearing pretty downed faces. That wasn't, Riki thought, something they should have seen on the first day of school. What was Nico trying to prove?

Immediately, his mind came up with an answer: to show that Blondies needed magic. There were Elites and foreigners out there stealing people left and right, strong people with powerful magic. Riki had also met the Elite, and many others of the same caliber, several times, and all the times someone was taken away, either during a fight or arbitrarily. Lately, those plans have been easy to follow. Probably, these people were busy with kidnapping Blondie kids. That, or the Elite was working alone.

"Just sit anywhere," said the female teacher. "What's with those sad faces?"

"We watched a… video," Riki answered, sitting down next to Guy at the three-chaired table. Iason sat next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Riki noticed Guy's look of loathing.

"About what?"

Riki shrugged. "'Bout how some Plat-nas got magic."

"Oh, you shouldn't watch that. Most of the time it's in horrible circumstances."

"You can say that again."

"Well, we won't be watching any videos, especially not one of those. Here's the syllabus for this class. Look carefully at the test dates, and the lab dates, and the midterm. They are subject to change, but the time is generally the same. Advanced, I want all of you to read the first three chapters before the next time we meet the day after tomorrow."

There were groans.

"Sorry, this won't be an easy A like some of you may have thought. Those in the back, start getting your books from the shelf, Advanced books are on the left. There will be a paper coming around for you to put your name and what number book you're using."

"We're going to need Yui for this class," Guy laughed, as he was in better spirits. Well, as good as he could be with Iason hanging onto Riki's every word.

Riki wasn't completely oblivious to the glare war going on over his head between Iason and Guy, and he wasn't oblivious to the fact that there was a war over him. His tail stood still, waiting, knowing that sometime, eventually, one of them (Iason) would send the other (Guy) over the edge. He's never been in this situation before. It has always been Guy and him for as long as he could remember.

And, apparently, he and Iason were raised for a short while together. Riki wanted to inquire more about that, with Amon, but he would probably have to speak to Eadni Elusiax, the teacher for his next class of Home Economics. It was another class he had with Guy, but this time Iason wouldn't be with them, much to Riki's relief.

They spent the rest of the Biology class in high tension. Riki at first didn't want to start a conversation with Guy and leave Iason out, but then he realized that he shouldn't give a fuck, and so he and Guy started talking about the new hovercar Vis-à-Vis Silver. They spread a magazine between them.

"Why can't I have a car like that?" Riki said in a mock sorrowful tone. He knew that that sort of car would be beyond his means for quite a long time, maybe forever.

"Damn, look at this bike. Fuckin' sweet…"

Without really meaning to, Riki looked at Iason after Guy said this, and, sure enough, Iason was looking on shamelessly.

"You like cars, Blondie?" Guy hissed in a voice that was not at all interested in Iason's answer.

"I have a Vis, don't you remember?"

"I don't really care."

Bullshit, Riki thought. He looked at Guy's face; oh, he cared alright. Moreover, he cared more how Riki would take the information.

Riki shrugged. "I wasn't really paying attention. All you Blondies have good cars and whatever, all posh-posh and whatever."

"Actually, we share the car between us. We are not into conspicuous opulence like, say, Aro and Jaden."

Riki knew Guy had no idea, almost as much as he had an idea, what 'conspicuous opulence' was.

Iason smiled "Conspicuous opulence is when you show off how rich you are."

"Well, damn, why didn't ya' just say that?" Riki muttered.

"Because it isn't as fast as saying conspicuous opulence. It is just how you do not say 'you' and 'your', just iya/i."

Guy and Riki snickered at Iason's attempt at the street talk. Iason took it in stride, an attribute which would work on Guy's annoyance eventually.

It was their turn to get books, and when they did, Iason immediately turned to the first chapter and began reading. Riki and Guy continued talking about cars.

When class was over, Iason left with a nod of his head towards Guy and Riki, saying he had Applied Math and Statistics to go to.

Finally, Riki could breathe a sigh of relief, and Iason had left on such a nice note, with decorum, gently.

Guy had different ideas.

"That perverted bastard was all over you Riki! Why did you take it?"

Home Economics was a ways across the school, in another building, but Riki and Guy weren't in a hurry. Though this school was bound to be harder academically, and probably the physical education will be a bit rougher against the huge Blondie boys, they weren't going to push themselves any harder than they needed to (which brought to question-just how much did they need to push themselves?). Still, Riki knew Guy would have a better time of it with the laidback style because he was smarter, but not as intelligent as, say, Yui or Daryl and others who all seemed to get the smart brains when the gods were handing them out.

"I didn't take anything!" Riki protested. "I just didn't cause a fuss."

"What, you don't wanna offend him or somethin'?"

"That's not it. I just don't want ya' fightin' ova me."

"He's being a jackass!"

"Well, don't go down to his level and be uh asshole back."

Guy held a chastised look for a while before he said, "Yea, you're right. It just drives me nuts."

"Hell, I'll prolly be the same if some bimbo started mooning all over you."

"You're sweet Riki."

"Nah."

"But what does he see in you?"

Riki laughed, "What the hell, Guy!"

"No, no," Guy laughed as well. "I didn't mean it like that, I mean, like, isn't he supposed to hold the V-card until he dies? And what's he doing trying to shack up with a mongrel like you?"

"To be fair, he's not really doin' anythin' 'cept tryin' really, really, really hard to be my super best buddy."

Guy snorted.

"You ain't got nothin' to worry about, Guy." Riki put an arm around him, squeezing his hips. "You're the boyfriend."

"You're so sweet, Riki," Guy said again.

"Nah."

They got to Home Economics, Eadni Elusiax not yet in the room, nor a lot of students. Besides Riki and Guy, there were eleven students present: Ru, Toma, Sarius, Ima, Mimea, Gwen, Jasmine, Norris and three other Ceres girls standing way up front talking in Pig-Amoian, a shifty language where the last syllables of a word came first and works it way forward. For example 'simultaneously' would be 'lyousnetamulsi'. Understandably, one syllable words stayed the same, and the sentences were curt, but these girls were quick thinkers. Riki couldn't understand a single thing, how fast they were going, and he was pretty good at even the long words.

Riki and his friends all sat near the back.

"What do you think the teacher will be like? Do you think he would be like Mrs. Stills?" Ru asked them.

"He's a guy, so how will he be like Mrs. Stills?" Toma answered questionably.

"I hope we get to do the egg-baby project!" Mimea interjected.

Gwen piped, "I want to learn how to knit! I want to make scarves and hats and everything. What do you boys want to do?"

"I wanna learn how to cook, damn it. Tired of boiling noodles all the time," Guy laughed, face flushed with pleasure. Without Iason, he seemed to be positively beaming.

"Yea, cookin' will be good," Sarius added. "But, truthfully, I only took this class for an easy A."

"Woohoo! Look at that babe!" Norris exclaimed.

Here walked in a skirted person. The person had a large bag. First, to the back of the room the person went and chose twelve books from the stack, expertly handling six on each arm.

"Damn, she has legs all the way up to her neck." Guy whistled appreciatively, earning himself a nudge in the ribs from Riki.

This was nothing. It was okay to take a nice long look at a good-looking person, but to go after them romantically was a big no-no, and sexually was just plain annoying.

The person put the books he picked up on his desk.

"What's she doin'?" Norris asked.

Ima shrugged. "Maybe Eadni told her to do it."

On the second trip to the books again, Norris interrupted this person, "You're the finest thing I have seen in a long, long time."

The person grabbed him with swimmingly blue eyes; Norris straightened perceptibly. "Why, thank you," the person said in his deep voice.

"Y-Y-You're a guy?"

"Yes, I am."

"Oh… You're still fine."

"Thank you again."

This crossdresser, he looked across the room, eyes taking in the students. The Ceres Pig-Amoian girls had already sat down as soon as he walked in.

The unnamed man went to the door and shut it. He walked to the desk and sat in the chair behind it.

"Hello, students. I am Eadni Elusiax, your teacher for this class."

Norris let out a low, "Whaaaaa…Why didn't you say anything? We said all that stuff about you!"

"It was all very flattering. I saw no reason to stop it. Please come up to the front."

Faces red, the Ceres children met the other Ceres girls up front. They all sat expectantly, unexpectedly obedient in the face of the lovely Elusiax who had let them talk about him as if he was just another student, and in such a vulgar way. They tensed when he narrowed his eyes.

"Were you three not in my class last year?" he said to the Pig-Amoian girls.

They giggled. One girl told him, "Yea, but we loved it so much we had to take it again."

"You have room in your schedule for repeating classes?"

"Yes, sir," one of answered. "Plenty."

Elusiax smiled, teeth beautifully big and straight. After a few moments he said, "I'm sure you boys and girls know what this class is about, but do you have any questions?"

A purple-haired Pig-Amoian talked without raising her hand, "Are you doing the babysitting thing again this year?"

"Yes, I am. I will talk about that project next week."

"Is this all the students in this class?"

"You mean, _are_ these all the students in this class. And yes, this is it."

An orange-headed friend said, "Now, that won't do. We need some Blondies in here, that'll make things interesting."

"Are you saying my class isn't interesting?"

"No! No, no, your class is just fine. I mean _more_ interesting. More interesting."

Elusiax rested his head on clasped hands, still smiling. "I wouldn't mind if I had more Blondies in my class, a few Elites. But they have no reason to take the class. There's not a lot they could get out of it."

"True."

Ima raised her hand, and her face seemed momentarily stunned by the sudden brightening of his smile.

"Yes, Ima?"

"Is it… Is it true that you used to take of us when we were little?"

The grin turned wider, but not scary wider. Though the smile was big, it shaped the face in such a way that was unthreatening, welcoming actually.

"Yes, it is true."

"But how did you and Coach Qentu meet?" Riki asked, very interested.

Eadni thought for a moment, then said, "Would you rather I showed it to you?"

Excitedly, the children voiced their approval, even the Pig-Amoian girls, who seemed to have an intense interest in Eadni himself. In response, Eadni looked inside his purse and retried a disk and went to the podium, hooking up the projector to display the images.

The first image and sound was a baby sucking on a pacifier. The baby could have been no more than a year old, with golden eyes, and short, fluffy blonde hair. It stared at the security camera for awhile in his denim overalls and polo shirt before abruptly losing interest, looking off to the side. The baby was in a car seat, strapped in tight. Next to him was another kid, slumbering away with his eyebrows screwed tight and mouth slightly open.

"That's Xian and Raoul. This is when they were fifteen months old, already began walking, some are getting their first words out…" Eadni narrated. "We're on our way to a park in Midas, where the Wolf Festival was going on."

"What?" Riki exclaimed. "Were you outta' ya mind? That's like the biggest mongrel-"

"Please do not use that word. It's very much a vulgar word."

Riki rolled his eyes. "It's the biggest party for _Ceres_ people. It's barely in Midas."

"I just thought it would be a fun place for the children to go to. And with the security cameras, things would be fine, which they were, until towards the middle."

"You went alone?" 

"Oh, heavens no. I had plenty of helpers."

The camera scope expanded, almost on cue, showing a busload of cars seats and the Blondie babies that inhabited them, Every two babies, of which there were many, there was a helper of the colored hair variety, mostly blue. Eadni himself drove the bus. Outside his window, the framed festival was outlined. Balloons mostly filled the window.

"Alright, boys, we're here. Please remember that you are responsible for the children you signed up for. If you need to use the restroom, please, please, make sure your children are in the care of another acolyte. If I see a child alone, I will not be needing your services any longer," Eadni lectured, getting up and straightening his back. He exited the bus, releasing two of the Blondies in front from their carseats. Elusiax (of the class) explained the babies to be Iason and Omaki.

After leaving the bus in the parking lot, each helper holding the hand of two very small Blondies (some of the helpers had to bend over), they made their way to the heart of the festival. Some way in, it was obvious that many of the celebrators were unused to seeing Platinas and Blondies, but Elusiax didn't seem to notice them. He instead marched his charges from activity table to activity table.

"Are you nuts?" asked one worker of the festival, his dark brown hair tied back into a ponytail. "What're doin' with all these Blondie babies?"

"We are enjoying the festival. Is that wrong?"

The worker made a face. "No, but… This is a dangerous place."

"Well, then, I must ask… Why are you here?"

The young man blushed. "This is a dangerous place for Blondies."

"I think I'll be fine," Eadni answered.

The other man shrugged and gave Iason and Omaki lollipops.

"I'm just going to fast-forward to the exciting part…" murmured Eadni. While the projector skipped ahead to blurry images of the numerous Blondie children getting on rides, eating, blowing bubbles and various other things, Eadni continued, "I spliced together the footage from each other cameras to make videos like these."

"Didn't that take, like, an extra long time?" Gwen asked.

"Yes, it did, but it is worth it to show it to others, though we don't have the time to watch the whole thing. Oh!" He pressed play at the last second. "This is Megala."

Megala was crying next to a caretaker, who was trying his best to give the child candy or milk or whatever else he might want, but Megala pushed all these things away, sat on the ground, and cried inconsolably. The blue-haired boy then checked his diaper to see if it was full, but it obviously wasn't. He stared in confusion at the crying baby, whispering, "Want do you want, Meg? Why can't you be more like Nico?"

Nico stared at Meg with bright blue eyes, then started laughing, which made Megala cry harder, which made Nico laugh even harder, and so the exchange went. The poor babysitter didn't know what to do, so he picked up both Nico and Meg, who fought him the entire way, and began walking away from the table they were resting at.

But behind him came a man, shorter than the youth, obviously drunk or high or both, slurring, "Whatcha got there?"

"Kids," the boy said tersely, moving around the man. The man sidestepped into the boy's way again, and he huffed, lifting up Meg and Nico higher in his arms. "Excuse me."

The camera angle changed suddenly to show a worried Eadni walking towards the two, but a mongrel grabbed Eadni's shoulders, which were drooped to accommodate Iason and Omaki. The mongrel was Amon.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, baby. He might do something drastic," he said, looking handsome and powerful in a sleeveless leather vest and jeans, hair tied back in a low ponytail. The hair _was_ a lighter blue.

Eadni glanced at him, then gave him a longer look, as Amon had his arm curved around something wrapped in a cloth. "What's that?" he asked of it.

"This is Riki," Amon said with a smile, uncovering the light wraps to show a huge-eyed Riki, with jet black irises and hair. His lips bobbed around a pacifier.

"He's absolutely precious!"

"Yea, I didn't think you would trust me if I didn't have a kid in the arm, so I picked him up."

"What reason would I have to trust you?"

"For one, a bunch of…. Really evil men are out to get you and your band of babies."

Eadni looked towards Megala and Nico, whose sitter was now being confronted physically by the man until finally he grabbed the poor kid and dragged him off between two buildings, the alley hidden by a cotton candy stand. The man at the stand moved aside as if he didn't even see him.

"My! He didn't even-!" Eadni cried, taking a large step forward only to be grabbed by Amon again.

"That's because they are on the same side. And you storming up behind them with those kids is just the thing they want you to do, 'cause then they'll have four Blondies and you."

"What do they want with us?"

Amon turned Eadni gently around; he looked down at Iason and Omaki. Both children were currently hiding behind Eadni's billowed pants, and they looked up at Amon with large blue eyes. Amon sighed.

"Blondie kids make huge money on da market. And a pretty thing like you wouldn't catch just a few credits, either."

"The black market," Eadni whispered. "I didn't even… I shouldn't have brought them here."

"Oi, oi. You ain't the first and ain't gone be the last either, so don't beat yourself up about it. I'mma help you, alrigh'? You stay put and I'mma be back with your babies and friend in no time. Here, hold Riki."

Eadni took Riki, who fussed a little bit before Eadni hushed him, kissing his tiny nose and face.

Amon smiled, and turned in the opposite direction of where Megala and the others were taken.

"Where are you going?"

"Trust me." Amon stopped, saying over his shoulder, "It'll behoove you if ya' call the others around. I don't think you should stay here that much longer."

"I suppose you are right," Eadni answered, taking out his phone and saying, "Ama? Yes, it's Eadni. It's time for us to go."

The video camera changed scenes again, going back to the blue-haired sitter, who held Megala and Nico tightly to his chest as two men paced before him. One of them, the one who hadn't led them into the alley, a green-haired mongrel of about thirty, was whining nervously, "Amon saw you, Ork! This ain't worth toeing it with Amon!"

"They be forty-thousand a head! And these prices skyrocket in no time; they could easily catch a million before the year is through- and we got a thirty percent cut! I ain't gone back out when I can be rich."

"But you gone be dead if Amon ever catches you. Amon straight kills a bitch!"

Ork momentarily looked a bit scared, then he shook his head. "Amon wouldn't try anything drastic. He knows we got guns and know how to use 'em."

"He's gone think you bluffin'."

"Not with blue-head, dummy."

Dummy suddenly smiled. "Oh, yea, you're right."

Megala had stopped crying and was now sucking furiously on his thumb; Nico was doing the same.

Dummy abruptly demanded, "What these babies' names?"

"M-Megala and Nico."

Dummy said excitedly to Ork, "We ain't gotta stay here! We got Megala and Nico; they have a higher price than the rest of them!"

Ork nodded, finally agreeing on something with his co-conspirator. "Yea, let's go."

In a second, Amon came up behind Ork and slammed his face into Dummy's, driving both heads and bodies into the farthest brick wall, the momentum causing the impact on the men's heads to be tremendously strong. The back of Dummy's head busted against the bricks while Ork's head dented in the front. Blood dripped from their wounds when Amon let them go. Ork twitched a couple of times.

"Are… Are they dead?" the Sapphire asked.

"Nah."

"Why did you hurt them?"

"Because, guys like them would do anything for money, even if it means killing and/or kidnapping a few kids."

"Do you think… Do you think he really would have done that?"

"Have no doubt. I've seen him before and someone always goes missin' or somethin'." Amon helped the boy up. "But don't worry; I think they learned their lesson. Let's get you back to Eadni and outta this place."

"I told Eadni this was a bad idea."

"Nah, it was just a bad luck. The predators weren't all that heavy today and they just so happened to target ya'. What's ya' name?"

"Courtney."

"Ah, old Court, huh? Name's Amon." They began walking.

"Thank you, Amon. Excuse me if I don't exactly trust you."

"That's good. You shouldn't trust completely anyone, or else you could seriously hurt."

"Exactly."

The four got back to Eadni, who hugged Courtney, Nico, and Megala. Then, much to everyone's surprise, he hugged Amon.

"Here's Riki. I hate to leave, but I think it would be much better if we did."

"How about you come over to my place?"

Mr. Elusiax stopped the video. "That's enough for now," he said. "How about we introduce ourselves? We should have done that first, but you boys and girls beat me to the punch."

They introduced themselves, and by the time that was done, it was time for lunch, the cafeteria in the same building the gym was in.


	10. Eating

**AN**: Two chapters mean twice the reviews! Yes? No? Oh, ok.

Guy's POV (I guess I should have done this at first, huh?)

Eating

"Out of all the rotten luck," Guy growled as he and his friends entered the cafeteria. He and his friends had this strategy: three or four of them would find each other and choose a table and sit approximately three to four chairs apart, enough chairs that larger groups wouldn't feel comfortable sitting down at the table. Those that sat down first would stare down the smaller groups that had the misfortune to think they could sit down in the spaces that were left. Eventually, these intruders would leave the table.

The ones who sat down first did this because seats would often become scarce, especially a large space of chairs, while most of them stood in the long line for lunch. And if they waited at a table too long, they wouldn't have enough time to eat their food after the line went down. It was the dilemma of many Ceres cafeterias.

But that dilemma did not plague the Elite Blondie School Amoi Academy, oh, no. All the Blondies and upper Elites and dignitaries' sons and daughters sat at the tables, talking on phones, or typing on laptops, or mingling with one another. There was no food to be seen and lunch was to start in a few minutes.

What's more, the seats were largely taken except for this gigantic space in the middle of the cafeteria. The place was mostly segregated with the Ceres kids off to one edge of the hall, the Midas children at another part, and the Eos youths (or brats, as they were quickly beginning to be called) to another side.

The middle was the only exception. The long tables (pushed together) held some Blondies _and_ Midas Elites and was only missing some mongrels to make the mix complete, and Guy and his friends fit the bill.

And it just so happened that Guy's favorite Blondie was sitting at this basically free table, with all his Blondie and Platina friends (minus Megala Chi, who was rumored to had gone home early). As this was the only place to sit, Guy, Riki, and all those others from the sketch, including Daryl and Toma, who were absent in the gym, sat down there. They sat in the usual order, with Riki and Guy in the middle. Unfortunately, the middle was usually reserved for the MVP, and so they sat directly across from Iason and Raoul.

"Hello, Riki," Iason said smoothly, and in such a way that Guy was sure it was meant to antagonize him. It was too smooth, almost inviting.

Riki simply said, "Hi," then, "Where's the food at?"

"What do you mean?"

Riki rolled his eyes, and Guy glared. "Where's the line at? Where do you get the food? Why are we sitting down?"

The Blondies held blank expressions. Raoul, looking irritably at the mongrels, had Xian to his side, and Nico sat Xian's opposite side and he said, "In a regular school, students stand in line to get a meal."

"Really?" some of the Blondies said.

"They don't bring it to you?" Xian asked, eyes wide, the color making them even more striking.

"They _bring_ it to you," Juthian answered questionably. He sat across from Nico next to Yui, who sat in front of Xian, diagonally from Raoul. "That's amazing."

"It is?"

"To me? Totally. So when's they gonna bring the food?"

Just then, a man stepped to a podium that Guy and the others hadn't noticed when walking in. He announced over the noise of the crowd of students the day's lunch menu: "Caramelized apples, braised pork loin, cheese soufflé, stringed beans with ginger and bacon, steamed carrots, and Brussels sprouts are the entrees for today. For dessert you have your choices of a regular carrot cake, pear and green tea ice cream, and several pies. Please enjoy your meals."

With that, dozens of waiters and waitress-looking people began delivering the food to the tables, placing silver domes on the table while others settled silverware wrapped in fancy napkins down in front of the students. The napkins had the school's logo on it, a crest of a shield, another usual crest. Yet another waitress, and several more, asked them for their choice of drinks.

"Whatcha got?" Riki asked, excitedly. Guy guessed that his boyfriend felt like he was in some fancy restaurant- which was exactly how he felt.

But the waitress sneered at them, and he suddenly felt unwelcome. He sneered back, and Riki said, "What's your problem?"

The waitress shrugged, sniffing disdainfully. "Just tell me what you want to drink already."

"I asked you what you got?"

"I don't understand your language."

Riki made his eyes wide with mock innocence and placed his hands before himself in a display of exaggerated refinement. "What beverages are you offering on this lovely day, Madam?"

His friends began to laugh, and Riki himself cracked a grin.

Guy couldn't help himself from looking over at the Blondies, who were, except for Iason, all staring at the exchange like they never seen anything like it before. Iason looked amused, as if this was expected of a mongrel, and the smile on his face irritated Guy. It was as if Riki's act was a show just for him.

Of course, he reasoned to himself, the paranoia was all in his mind (It wasn't) and that he was getting heated over Iason's not-very-platonic interest in Riki.

The waitress sniffed, annoyed to have the mongrels laugh at her and listed a huge amount of drinks to choose from. Riki ended up choosing a drink that was rather common to the kids of Ceres, at least the legal drink, some ginger ale, while Guy asked for sparkling cranberry juice. He wasn't sure what a cranberry was, but it sounded good with sparkling and juice.

He heard Yui say, possibly reading the tag on her shirt, "What do you recommend, Nina?" and knew his friend was trying to mend the awkward situation, but the waitress Nina just said, "Would you just pick something?"

And then Raoul intervened, looking angry, "What do _you_ recommend?" His face challenged any opposition from her.

To him, the waitress was stuck, and words stumbled from her mouth: "I'll just take some green tea, usually."

"That sounds disgusting. It does not go with today's food at all. Pick something else."

"Black tea?"

"Even worse."

"Well, you kids can't drink any wines! I don't know what to say."

"Then keep your mouth shut, waitress." Raoul turned from her dismissively and said to Yui, "I would take your friend's suggestion and try one of the mock champagnes. I think the mimosa would taste especially delicious with the braised pork loin."

Yui murmured a thank you, blushing (earning himself some knowing smiles from his friends) and ordered the mock mimosa.

Nina gathered the rest of the orders, noticeably treating the Blondies with more respect and patience, but was regarded most aloofly. She left in a huff and Riki hissed behind her, "Flat-assed bitch."

Guy snorted, "You were looking?"

"You know how big asses are all in your face? Well, her no ass was all in my face."

Riki reached for the food, lifted a dome full of Brussels sprouts and sniffed. He choked, slamming down the cover quickly.

Guy covered his nose, saying, "What the hell was that?" Toma, Sarius, and Ru down the table had covered the lower half of their faces as well. The other wolves had distaste written all over their faces.

"Those were Brussels sprouts."

"They stank! Do people eat those for real?"

"They sure do." As an example, Iason opened the lid, making all the sensitive noses cringe, and scooped some of the vegetables on his plate. When he was done, he poked one with his fork and ate it.

"Eeeelgh! Nasty, nasty," Riki muttered. Uncovering another dome, he found the pork loin, which Guy knew was what his boyfriend was looking for. Sure enough, Riki excitedly cut a tiny piece off the pork loin, then placed the bigger piece on his plate.

Iason leaned forward, raising an eyebrow, "Are you sure you can finish all that? What about some nice vegetables?"

"What are you, his guardian?" Guy spat defensively. "Leave him alone!"

"I don't see what you mean… I was only making a suggestion. Of course, you seem like just the person to blow things out of proportion. I see you and Riki are close."

"We're boyfriends."

"Oi, Guy!" Riki said hurriedly, blushing only a teeny tiny bit.

Guy then felt very, very angry and it must have shown on his face because Riki jerked back as if he had been stabbed by his feelings. 

"It's true, ain't it?"

"Yea, it's true, but we ain't gotta shout it to the whole world."

"Why not?"

"Why?" Riki searched for the right thing to say, rolling his eyes. "Because it's private stuff. Our own beeswax and no one else needs to know."

Guy glared at Iason, who lifted both eyebrows this time. "This guy doesn't seem to get it," Guy said.

"You were the one who said that you two were boyfriends. I in no way insinuated the need to know that information."

Guy simply snarled, feeling irritated not only because of Iason's action, but also because he didn't quite know what 'insinuated' meant.

"Let it go, Guy. We're all right." Riki rubbed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Yea," he answered, ignoring Iason's smile at them, a smile that he wanted to smack off so badly. What did he have to smile about?

Half and hour later, Riki, taking a sip of his ginger ale, looked at the clock, then pulled out his schedule. "Lunch is a whole hour?"

"Can I talk to Riki, Guy? Or is that going over the line?" Iason asked, looking serious, except for that small smile.

"What the fuck ever."

"Yes, Riki, lunch is an hour."

Raoul's leg was shaking the table.

Iason continued, talking to Raoul, "I'm guessing that your art class is next."

"It's horrible. I didn't do enough; the colors are all wrong." He pulled out his portfolio and spread his painting in the air. "It's all wrong," Raoul said again.

"It's pretty," Yui said.

"Pretty?"

"It's pretty magnificent," Iason added; with Yui nodding.

"That's good… That's good."

"Anyway, I don't think how you drew would be what the teacher would get all riled about," Juthian said, almost to himself, sitting on Yui's other side. As it was kind of quiet in the cafeteria (the next two tables were listening closely), the rest heard him easily.

"You. What do you mean?" Raoul demanded.

"The name's Juthian. And I'm just saying that your teacher, a Blondie right? He's probably not going to like that you drew a bunch of mongrels."

"What does that have to do with anything? I should be able to draw what I want- it's the idea behind the painting and how I drew it that matters most."

"And you think your teacher will care about all that? Did he ever just hate a painting because he didn't like… Like, he didn't want this thing in here or somethin'?"

Raoul thought for a moment. "He once gave a student," he said softly, "an awful grade, failed him, I believe, because he drew an apple. And Proffesor Sni hates apples. But he was just feeling riled that day."

Juthian chuckled. "And you don't think he would be upset today that a bunch of mongrels invaded the school ? I mean, you don't even like mongrels."

"You mongrels are fine, except when you curse, or talk about sex, or when you're being just plain awful."

"You're talking about Guy."

"Who's Guy?"

"The dude next to Riki."

"Who's Riki?"

There was laughter at the table at the Blondie who obviously wasn't paying attention to the conversations at the table.

"He's the dude next to Yui."

Raoul looked at Yui, but didn't bother to even glance at Riki's and Guy's faces to memorize them. Raoul's legs had stopped moving as soon as his eyes rested on Yui's serene face. Yui smiled at him.

Raoul nodded. "I don't care if he doesn't like my paintings. I like them, and everyone knows I'm the best artist in this school."

"Aren't you confident?" Yui said with a smile.

"In a class full of numbskulls, you have to show initiative." He whistled a clear note, getting a waiter's attention. "Green tea ice cream," he demanded simply.

"And you, sirs?" the waiter offered, obviously vying for the Blondie's attention.

"I want some of that carrot cake!" Juthian cried out excitedly.

The waiter scribbled it down without looking at him.

"Well, fuck you very much, too." Juthian flipped him the bird.

Yui said, "I would like to try the pear ice cream."

Another scribble, and that was how it went. Scribbling for the mongrels and a bow and a 'yes, sir' for the Blondies and Elites. The Ceres kids took this in stride and when the waiter went away, Sarius said, "He's going to spit in our food."

"Probably, but I'll smell it," Riki answered.

"Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"Prolly nothing I can do."

"I'll give you some of my dessert, Riki," Iason proffered, getting a heated stare from Guy.

"That's going over the line."

"It's completely natural. We both ordered lemon meringue pie." And Guy had ordered apple, of course.

Waiters quickly came back with their food. When they left, Riki and the others sniffed their desserts.

"Spitted," Riki said, a little disappointed.

Yui pushed away his dessert, and upon seeing this, Guy immediately sought out Raoul's reaction. Out of his periphery vision, he could see everyone glancing at Raoul to see.

Raoul didn't disappoint. Guy was ultimately sure that the Blondie had no idea what he was doing, how kind and protective of Yui he was being. But Guy would bet an arm that if he did, he wouldn't give a shit. He stood up and headed for the kitchens. The cafeteria went quiet as he entered the double doors on which a side said "Employees Only". People could hear him shouting after awhile, his voice booming but indistinct, what with all the noise happening inside the kitchen.

The teachers standing watch and eating in their little faculty cafeteria hurried to the scene. Who stood behind were a calm Eadni Elusiax and a grinning Amon Qentu. Sarius saw them and waved them over frantically. They walked up to their table.

"It's good to see that the gang is all back together," Amon said brightly.

"Not that together," Guy answered, glowering at Iason, who looked innocent enough.

Eadni smiled. "Together enough."

"Are you two together?" Ru asked, unable to keep the slyness out of his voice.

The two men looked at each other.

"Sure, why not?" Amon finally said. Eadni covered his blush with one hand but smiled nonetheless.

"You guys look so good together. Like hot."

"Thank you, Ru," Eadni said sincerely.

Raoul now exited the kitchen, followed by several teachers, and several more servers. They arrived at their table and set down the new rows of dessert and taking the saliva-mixed sweets back. Raoul watched Riki sniff the food, tail wagging interestedly, as did the others.

"No spit," he declared.

"Now that you have made such a big scene, are you happy now?" one of the teachers barked, hands on his hips.

"Yes, Professor Bachovsky," Raoul answered impudently, not even looking at the teacher.

"You should watch your tone, boy. You will be let off with a warning this time."

"What is the warning for?" Eadni asked, smiling. "He's hardly done anything worth trouble."

"He threw himself at the cooks, claiming that some of the servers spat in the mon- Ceres children's food."

"And he needs a warning for that?" Eadni lifted his eyebrows in surprise, but his eyes were stone cold.

"I…Ye… No, I guess not."

Eadni's face lit up with a broad grin. "Of course not. Come, let us enjoy our meal," and Eadni slipped between the teachers back to the faculty room. "Good day, boys and girls."

"Later, guys." Amon gave them the peace sign.

"You ain't half bad, Blondie," Riki said to Raoul.

"It was nothing."

"You shoulda busted some heads while you were at it." Riki laughed.

"I should have done what now?"

"Beat them up."

"Then who will serve our food?"

Riki rolled his eyes, elbowing Guy in the ribs. Guy did the same.

Time passed and towards the end of the hour, a clipboard with several sheets stuck under the metal came across their table. It was handed to Iason first, and he glanced at it, narrowed his eyes, and passed it along. Raoul, seeing that the papers annoyed Iason, gave it to Xian without a single look. Xian read it, and said aloud, "Oh, come on."

"What it got on it?" Riki asked curiously.

"It's a petition 'to restore the sanctity and integrity of the school with the exclusion of undesirable persons, who will be determined by the majority of the population, and dealt with accordingly'."

"In other words…?"

"To make the school how it used to be, without Ceres and Midas joining us."

"I don't even think they want to exclude those from Midas," Iason said, and then the bell rang for class.

"It already has a hundred seventy signatures," Xian said over the din of the students getting up. None bothered to clear their dishes, as that was the servers' job.

"Don't worry about that, Xian. The ones in charge here already have good reason to integrate the school," Iason said assuredly.

"You hope so," Guy muttered.


	11. Spirit

**AN**: No reviews this week… What did I do wrong?

Yui's POV

Spirit

Yui was a quiet, easy-going fellow. Gentle-spirited, often called the nice brother out of their group of mongrels. He was also a bit shy, especially when it came to romantic endeavors. He has been proposed to more than most people, and tried his best to let the other off easy when he wasn't sincere, which was most of the time, and other times he knew that the person wasn't exactly boyfriend- or sometimes, rarely, girlfriend- material. But he has never come across someone like Raoul.

Raoul was pushy, but not against him. It seemed that he didn't even realize his actions; it just came to him as natural as anything, which put Yui at ease. But something was working inside Yui that was surprising. He was beginning to fall quickly for the Blondie. At first he was simply shocked at the attention he received, but at the cafeteria, he knew for sure that Raoul was simply the kind of guy he was interested in. The Talk Trio- Sarius, Toma, and Ru- caught on as fast as ever. They knew when Raoul had helped him when he was trapped between the three Elites and the Blondie's subsequent refusal for payback. It wasn't as if any Blondie would try to help him like that.

Or offer him a seat at the end-of-the-day pep rally.

The pep rally was like a pop quiz, no one knew it was going to happen, but some had noticed that the classes were ending shorter than usual, Yui included, and he thought the day was just shortened because it was the beginning of school, but, no, that wasn't the case. They had another rally, and there were many more to come, as the faculty and administrators were trying to foster hope and enthusiasm for the new way of things. At least, that was what Yui thought.

"Sit next to me, Yui," Raoul offered gruffly. Next to him was Iason, and in front of them on the lower bleachers sat Riki and Guy.

Poor Guy, Yui thought. It was also obvious to Yui that Iason was attracted to Riki, and, truly, when a person first meets Riki, he became something of an intrigue. Yui crushed on him for awhile. Now, Yui and the mongrels were fascinated with Iason, who seemed calm and wholly interested in their culture, while the others floundered awkwardly before them. Except for Raoul, especially for Yui.

"What are you waiting for? Sit next to me." Raoul patted the empty space next to him nice and hard, and Yui obeyed him.

The others sat around them, the Talk Trio smiling at him.

Raoul took his hand, frowning. "They're so small!" He placed it back down. "Why are you so small? That boy, too." He jabbed a finger at Riki.

"That's Riki."

"Whatever. What do you like to do, Yui?"

"What… What do I like to do?" Yui stuttered, unprepared for the question. "Well, I, uhm, I like to take pictures."

Raoul's face brightened with the relaxation of his face. "Interesting. What do you take pictures of?"

"People… And animals. I really like animals."

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Squirrels… and kittens… It's a tie."

"I don't like animals very much. But I think painting them would be a challenge. Their fur is much more complicated than what one sees at first glance."

Yui felt that he was being boring, as Raoul didn't like animals, so he kept quiet, but Raoul went on.

"Perhaps I could see your pictures some day." In the next second, he added, "Come to my house today."

Quickly, Yui answered, "Oh, no, I couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Be-Because I'll be busy with… with work. I have work to do today…"

"Where do you work?"

"No, I mean schoolwork. Bachovsky gave a load of work for today." Yui didn't add that the Elites in the class blamed him, as Bachovsky had looked directly at him and announced that _this year_ he started the regime of giving homework every day, including weekends. He had twenty problems in biochemistry just for today. Due tomorrow.

Raoul rested his chin in his hand, staring hard. "I'm good at the sciences. I'll help you with your work and then you will show me your pictures."

"I don't really like showing off my pictures…" Yui tried, feeling a bit shyer than usual.

"You'll just be showing me. I will not badmouth them. I'm sure they are fantastic. What sort of camera do you use?"

"A Cornia."

"Aren't those extremely expensive?"

Riki and Guy snorted, then started laughing a little.

"I saved up."

They started laughing a lot.

"I see."

If Raoul knew that he actually stole the camera (much more difficult than it sounds), he didn't let on, but Yui was sure that he didn't know. Raoul was what the mongrels called slow.

Raoul cocked his head to the side. "Why don't you want to come to my house?"

Not that slow, it seems.

"I just feel uncomfortable."

"You shouldn't. Are you scared of me?"

"I… I don't really trust you."

Raoul made a sound of irritation. "What do you think I would do? Rape you like those men did?"

Yui's mouth dropped like a weight. He straightened his face fairly quickly, and looked away.

"You idiot!" Yui heard Riki yell. "You just don't say that shit out loud. That sort of stuff is… is…"

"Traumatizing," Guy helped.

No common sense at all.

"Yea! Now, say you're sorry."

"I was just asking a question."

"But you asked it in a bad way."

"I didn't mean to."

"That doesn't matter. It's like stepping on someone's foot. You don't mean to, but you still say sorry if you do it."

"I don't."

Yui was beginning to rethink his attraction to Raoul.

"You should," Riki said vehemently.

"It's alright, Riki," Yui spoke softly, raising his hands between him, who was standing, and Raoul, who had straightened in his spot. The space around them, the people sitting nearby, were all quiet, watching the exchange (and hoping the fight will go beyond verbal).

"Do you think I should say sorry?" Raoul demanded, pulling on Yui's wrist.

"It doesn't matter if you don't feel sorry."

"Do you think I should feel sorry?"

Yui just couldn't look him in the eye. "Just… Just a bit… Yes…"

"Then that means that I have said something hurtful. For that, I am sorry."

"Do you mean it?"

"I don't know."

Yui blushed at his honesty, but it was good enough.

Raoul looked at his hand. "So small," he said again. "Now, would you answer my question?"

"What question?"

"What do you think I would do if you came over to my house?" Raoul repeated.

"Oh! Headmaster's up!"

Saved by Sarius.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope all of you have had a wonderful first day of school."

"He doesn't sound sincere."

"I have heard of a petition going around, which has already endured a surprising number of signatures. But I will tell you now that it is a waste of time. Even if every single person in this gym, including the teachers, signed that petition, this integration has come from the Head of the Syndicate himself!"

There were excited murmurs throughout the crowd.

"The Head of the Syndicate!"

"Lord Ishnu!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Jupiter must have told him to do it!"

"That's insane!"

And so on.

"Since this mandate has come from so far above, we cannot rescind these implementations. It has become a measure of security to all citizens. To be true, and it is a sad truth, that when these threats were confined to the space of Ceres, there was little heeding the problem. And it is, selfishly, now that we join forces to help our own cause. Hopefully we can let bygones be bygones in this regard.

"And here I will pass the microphone to our cheerleaders- currently only the members of North Midas's pep squad, but the group is definitely open to the rest of the student body."

An orange-headed girl with pigtails took the mike from Headmaster Sung, smiling big with white, perfectly straight teeth.

"Hello, you all!" she nearly screamed. "I'm happy to see you all like this, together! Ok, we're going to start all this with a cheer! Yay! Come on guys and girls! Stand up!"

"She's horribly enthusiastic," Raoul muttered, but stood up nonetheless, like the hundreds of other Blondies and other various students were doing. Yui stood, his shoulder reaching Raoul's elbow.

"Ok, we'll go with a cheer most of ya'll know, but you Blondies can learn fast! Alright? Here we go!"

And the entire pep squad joined her in calling, "We got spirit, yes, we do! We got spirit, how 'bout you?"

The gym replied with little spirit, "We got spirit, yes…" and the words trailed off into nothingness.

The pigtailed girl didn't stop smiling, but she cocked her head to the side, yelling once more the chant, again with the same dull response. She tried once more- same thing, and this is where she yelled, "You guys suck! Midas kids! You first! We got spirit, yes, we do! We got spirit, how 'bout you?"

With more oomph, not hampered by the Blondies' apathy, the Midas children yelled the chant, whistling and stomping their feet.

"Ceres!"

Even though they made up the smallest portion of the student body, the Ceres teenagers were louder. Riki, Guy, Yui and the rest of the mongrels, screamed their lungs out even after the chant was over.

"I'm not even going to try the Elites," the pep leader said. "They don't stand a chance. Should I guys?"

There were cheers to do so.

"Alright, Amoi Academy, you're up!"

With much less enthusiasm, the Elites and Blondies murmured. The only reason that their voices could even be heard at all was because of the fact that they were all saying it together.

And so the cheerleaders ignored them, going back and forth between Midas and Ceres until voices were hoarse and people were sitting down from tiredness.

"Okay! I think it was a tie between Midas and Ceres kids- though I really hate to make this distinction. We're all supposed to be one school with lots of school spirit!" She didn't get any yells for this, and she shrugged. "Oh, well, maybe some day, guys, maybe some day.

"This concludes the start-of-the-year pep rallies! I know these rallies are pretty knew to you Blondies, but there will be one every week, same day, but only in the mornings. It's for all of you who don't look forward to school after the weekends, alright? Alright! Buses will take you back to your homes, and, remember, only Seniors are allowed to bring their cars to campus! And tomorrow, you can start changing your schedules; there are many new classes so I suggest you take advantage of them! Bye-bye!"

"What an annoying girl," was Raoul's first comment when he walked with Yui out to the bus. "That rally was a complete waste of time."

"I thought it was fun," Yui said then added, "I like school spirit."

"What's the use of it? School will go on whether or not we have the spirit for it."

"That's not the main thing, though. It's while we're here we should have the spirit for it."

"Why?"

"Or else school would be boring, don't you think? What if everyone just hated being here? You see what I mean?"

Raoul frowned. "No."

Yui simply sighed, following after Riki and his other friends towards their bus. He was walking pretty steadily before Raoul grabbed him by the elbow. Yui turned around nervously, hoping…but Raoul said, "Why won't you come to my house? There is plenty of room on the bus."

"I…I just don't want to."

"Why not?" was the persistent request. "What do you think would happen when you come to my house?"

"Maybe some other time? When we know each other better?"

"I know who I like and who I don't like."

Toma, ever the instigator, asked, "And you like Yui, right?"

"Of course," Raoul said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He just did his usual glare at Yui.

The Talk Trio giggled incessantly, the other Ceres kids rolled their eyes to the heavens, and the Blondies shook their heads.

Yui was blushing, a trait he was to share often when Raoul was around, and he told Raoul, "Maybe some other time?"

Raoul, still frowning, shrugged angrily.

"Fine."

He walked off to his bus.

"Oh, I think I hurt his feelings," Yui said worriedly, and Ru slapped him on the back.

"He'll be back to ya' sooner or later."

"And don't worry about his damn feelings." Guy spoke vehemently, and Yui was sure that he wasn't just talking about Raoul.

Yui looked at Raoul's retreating back, which was soon blocked by other Blondie bodies going the same way. He decided to give the brooding Elite a chance.

He finally got on the bus with his friends, and they turned around and laughed and joked until the conversation got serious.

"You up for work today, Yui?" Riki asked him.

"Of course."

"You might get… you know… Again."

"It'll be fine."

"Alright, you got Might Street."

"That's fine."


	12. Circuit

Talk Trio POV. Please review.

Circuit

Ru, Sarius, and Toma. One does not say one name without saying the other two, two names without the other one. The Talk Trio. Gossipy Grizzlies was another name, except their ears were all too small for such a strong word as grizzly. The trio of grizzlies have been friends since any of them could remember (that is sort of a dry statement- they knew everyone in their social clique for as long as they could remember). They were each other's best friends, of course, and almost nothing could tear them apart. They did everything together, though each was different in his own special way. For example, Toma liked to 'start stuff', as the phrase went. Ru had all the info. And Sarius had a way with people.

They were all lovers as well. And though Riki abhorred it, they made a bunch of money showing off their threesome.

But that was something else entirely. What they did best was talk. And the biggest talk was the Blondies. Everyone back home, those outside the Academy street borders, were intensely curious over the Blondies, how they were, what they looked like, were they getting bullied.

The truth was, they did get bullied on the first day of school. Nothing serious, just bumped into lockers and had things toppled over or smacked out of their hands. Plenty of hard, evil glares. It was hard to believe for some, but the three had brains enough for six people, but they were also lazy. They had nearly identical schedules, half 'easy', half 'hard', but nothing too serious or too boring, except they bombed with Amoian History. It was fully of angry Blondies, including the teacher, who drilled them with certain questions about history and getting more and more angry with each question they got right. It was probably all the more infuriating that they answered simultaneously.

Not like they cared. They have gone through far worse than some bratty Elites.

What they cared about were their new Blondie friends, who didn't seem to mind much that they were mongrels. And some relationships were progressing far faster than the three could ever dream of, even though there were some strong obstacles in the way.

"Heiku is shy," Sarius explained.

"And Xian's slow, poor dear," Ru added.

"Raoul is even slower, and he's kind of a jerk," was Toma's comment.

They were riding the bus to school, taking quick looks at Riki and Guy who were kissing heavily in the last seat to the back.

The bus driver, an aging man who used to chauffeur around Elites and got the short straw when they were divvying up routes, saw them and screamed, "You two stop your shenanigans! Stop it right now, or I'll report you!"

"Well, report us! Like we give a hot damn!" Guy yelled back, and then continued kissing Riki with wild abandon.

"I will report you," the driver spat.

"Poor thing," Sarius said, almost genuinely. "It must be so beneath him to drive us mongrels around."

"Fuck him and his mama," Toma muttered. Of course, he didn't really mean any harm to the driver's mother. It was just a common phrase.

"And then there is," Ru said, continuing with the earlier conversation, "Guy in between Iason and Riki."

"Who are you rooting for?"

Ru made a face. "I guess… Riki and Guy, just because they were together first and it kinda feels wrong for Riki to leave Guy for Iason."

"Why not?" Sarius asked. He shrugged. "If they love each other, then it is just as bad for Riki to stay with Guy out of pity."

Toma inquired seriously, "Do you think things will get to that point? Like, there's a real contest going on? To me, it just seems as if Iason is just playing around."

"I don't think so. He sure seems more like he is really trying. Maybe not to get into Riki's pants, but at least be as big a friend as we all are."

"There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Well, when you're focusing on one person, who has a boyfriend, and you're smart enough to know that it looks that you are trying to woo that person, then, yes, there's something wrong with that, but, oh well."

"Riki will never leave Guy."

"Never say never," Ru advised.

They sat contemplatively silent for the rest of the ride, all stuffed on one seat.

Their classes were separated into two types, Electives and Circuit. Then days were separated in Elective Days and Circuit days; the former meant there were more electives than circuits. The first day of school was an Elective, with classes like Art, Gym, and Home Economics the majority of the classes, while today was Circuit, whereas there were more science and math classes. The Talk Trio's first class was Advanced Calculus 3, a prestigious class which required the signature of a teacher. It wasn't even taught at East Ceres. The three enjoyed math enough to sign up for the course, though they were a little afraid of how hard it was going to be.

The teacher was a hot Blondie who shot them another one of those evil glares that they were getting a lot of.

"Books in the back," the Blondie said stiffly.

They got their books in silence. On their way to the back they caught sight of two very interesting people. The first of which was Megala Chi, head hanging so low that his hair covered all of his face. He looked like he was sleeping standing up, but his hands were squeezing each other, like some nervous tic.

The other was Nico Tathens, who saw them and waved them over, seemingly ignoring Megala. When the three got there, he asked cheerfully, "You guys must love math to be taking this class, right?"

"It's alright," they answered together.

"Woah! Weird!"

"Are you going to invite your friend over?" Ru asked.

Nico made a sad face, jutting his mouth to the side while holding a dubious face. "No. When he's like this, it's best to leave him alone."

"He's been like this before?"

"On and off, on and off. He doesn't deal with stress very well, so even a little bit gets him like this… And for him to go through the forest thing all over again- which I'm sure is how he feels- it's going to be a while before he'll be talking to anyone."

"At least we can invite him over."

Nico shrugged, and so Ru and Toma sent Sarius on over to Megala.

Sarius first searched for Megala's eyes beneath his hair. When he found them, he noted with dismay that they were unfocused, unseeing, and the boy was mumbling to himself, not saying anything intelligible. Sarius knew that if he touched the poor kid, he would probably scare him right to death. But he did it anyway, softly, deftly, on the shoulder. Just a pat.

Megala let out a small scream that had the teacher looking at them strangely, then snarling, making a face Sarius thought was truly sexy.

"If you are done playing around, dark child-" A euphemism for mongrel. "-then we can start."

Sarius looked back into Megala's eyes. They were unfocused again, the lips moving with no words coming out. Sarius gave up temporarily.

That first day, they reviewed past math, again being drilled, and again acing the rapid-fire inquisition. Nico wasn't left alone, either, being sent to the board the most.

And then the teacher called on Megala. Megala didn't even twitch.

"Megala Chi!"

"Sir," Nico answered instead, "it will be best if you just leave him alone."

"I know what is best for this class, Nico." The handsome math teacher walked to the back of the classroom and smacked a book on Megala's desk, inches away from his twitching fingers.

"Just don't touch him, please, Mr. Asis," pleaded Nico.

In direct defiance, Mr. Asis took Megala by the shoulder. Megala waved on the spot, then he fell over to the side, Mr. Asis grabbing him at the last minute once he realized what was happening. He eventually, after unsuccessfully trying to rouse Megala, had to call the nurse, and Megala went home once more and was not seen for the rest of the day.

"The poor dear!" Ru cried after class ended.

Hearing him, an Elite sneered, "Fucking crazy, that's what he is."

Ru ignored him by saying, "Whatever happened in that video must have been…"

"And five hundred years!" Sarius exclaimed.

"Do you think?" Toma asked vaguely.

"I do," Ru answered, saying again, "Poor dear."

"He'll be alright in about a week or so. I mean, he made it to class." Nico nodded. "He'll be fine."

"No offense, but…" Toma trailed off.

Sarius, guessing, said, "Should he go to a mental hospital? Or maybe an asylum. There's places like that here, aren't there?"

"He doesn't do well in confined places, and drugs don't work on him. Since he's harmless, the doctors let him roam free."

"What is he going to do after he graduates?"

"He wants to be an architect. At least, that's what he wanted when he was last… you know, good in the head. But I don't know if he can handle it."

They sighed together.

"Who are you looking for Nico?" Toma inquired curiously a little while later.

Nico grinned. "For Aether! My sweet man should be around here somewhere. I memorized his schedule, but I don't see him… Oh! There he is! Aether!" he called out cheerfully.

Aether was an easy guy to spot, as other students gave him plenty of space as he walked past, his face stony and emotionless. All he said was, "Nico," when they met up in the middle of the hallway. His face was expressionless still even as Nico puckered his full lips for a kiss, but he slowly and thoroughly let his tongue swim in the moist cavern of Nico's mouth.

Mr. Asis, such a timely creature, called them out, "No public displays of affection! Separate immediately!" He didn't wait, though, and came over to the couple and separated them roughly.

Nico sighed extravagantly, and Mr. Asis answered with a frown that made him look even more good-looking to the Talk Trio, and they wondered how much better Asis would seem like if he actually smiled. But at the moment he didn't act even the least bit pleased with anything.

"I'm off to chemistry, hon'," said Nico, playing with a button on Aether's shirt.

Aether simply replied, "Kisses."

"Kisses!" and Nico went on his way.

"Where are you off to, Aether?" Ru asked, sidling up close and personal to Aether's large frame.

"Amoian History."

"Oh, we had that yesterday."

Aether said nothing, just looked at them. Then, abruptly, "See you later."

As he was walking away, the Talk Trio convened:

"He's not the shy type."

"He's definitely not the talkative type."

"Very cute, very cute."

"Wonderful set of lips! I would have kissed him, too."

"Nice ass."

"I've seen better."

"True."

"True."

"Bet he's built like a rock."

"All Blondies are built."

"We have P.E. next, right?"

"Too bad he's not in the class today. That would have been fun."

And the meeting adjourned then, as they walked to the gym.

Circuit day gym class involved all their new Blondie friends except Aether and Nico. Daryl was in the stadium, sitting next to Katze. They had all been informed to wear their gym uniforms the second day of school, and there they all were, dressed accordingly. The Talk Trio went to the locker rooms to change, where Aertis and his friends were changing.

"Well, if it isn't the little hero!" Ru smacked him on his back. Like Toma said before, all Blondies were built. Hitting Aertis was like hitting hot stone.

Aertis jumped. He was putting on his shorts. After hastily pulling them up, he asked politely, "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm just fine, just fine," Ru said, pulling his clothes out from out his backpack, simple white tee and gray shorts. "How are you! Man, you went through some stuff back then."

"I've been doing better now."

"Did it, like, traumatize you?" Toma asked. He pulled off his shirt. Soft curly hairs covered his stomach and made their way down to his pant's edge.

Aertis looked away, blushing a little. "A little bit. I killed a rational being, after all."

"It was either you or him."

"Yes, I know. That's what people keep telling me but doesn't it sound sort of bad that I killed him to save my own skin? It sounds sort of selfish."

The Grizzlies looked at each other. "Not really," they said.

Aertis merely looked at them. Sighing, he exited the locker room.

"He'll get better," Sarius told Mrir and Zusin, knowingly. They nodded but didn't look the least bit reassured.

When the three got dressed and got out, they saw Aro doing his laps around the gym. He didn't seem the least bit stressed in his running, showing how much the laps were affecting him, which wasn't much. Aertis was in the bleachers, waiting like everyone else for Master Hwen and Coach Qentu. Aro finished his laps and sat down next to Jaden. Not a bead of sweat.

Hwen and Amon came along shortly. Hwen came up close to them while Amon stayed back.

"Good morning, children. Today, we will be assigning your Circuit day spots. Wait for Coach Qentu to call your name and sit down to where he points you to."

Sarius raised his hand. "Can't we just pick our own seats? I'm sure it is a lot for you to do if you had choose our seats for us and keep track every single day," he wheedled.

"We'll manage," Hwen said gruffly. "Afterwards, we're going to do some calisthenics, some runs, and perhaps, if we have time, we can go outside and have a game of…of…" Hwen turned around. "What's the name of that blasted game, Qentu?"

"Flag handball." The Ceres and Midas children cheered at this. The Elites looked lost, so Amon explained, "It's that game where you throw the ball and take it to the other side of the field to score points."

"Oh! You mean football," Xian said.

"No, football is when you use your _feet_ to get the ball into the goal on the other side of a field."

"That's soccer."

Amon grinned. "Me and Hwen already went through this, and I know ya'll play another game that's also called handball, and that's inside. We'll play that in the winter. Anyone against flag handball-slash-football?"

"We won't have time for it if you keep talking!" Hwen chided

"Alright, alright. I'll get on with it. Sheesh, such an impatient guy. Sarius!" and he pointed to a spot next to him, walked a few feet up, then called out, "Riki!" then, "Aro! Ru! Aertis! Guy!"

"They're separating all the best friends," Toma complained aloud.

"Damn skippy," Amon answered. "I did this last year!"

"Yea, I thought that was a last-year thing. Didn't think you would do it again."

"Well, too bad."

Toma clicked his teeth disrespectfully and Amon gave him a solid look of warning. Straightening immediately, Toma sat down in his spot, far away from either Ru or Sarius.

"Alright, all of you, stand up," ordered Hwen when all the students were seated. They rose unto their feet, and began to do stretching exercises as he commanded. Bend down and touch their toes, hands above their heads, stretching the lower back and shoulders, and all the rest. Then the exercise started.

They sprinted first, thirty marvelous laps around the large gym.

"Circuit gym days will be dedicated to running and calisthenics, while Elective days will go towards skills and… magic," Hwen said slowly. "All of you should be prepared each day to work your body to its very limits."

By the time they were finished, the students were a little huffy.

Fifty jumping jacks, one hundred push-ups, thirty mountain climbers, another fifty jumping jacks, fifty six-inches, and a slew of other activities with hardly a breath between them. There were people sweating, groaning, and complaining over the grueling regime, which lasted until the end of class.

The one thing they couldn't complain about was that the coaches didn't exercise with them- they did, with almost ridiculous ease. Steady and precise, they must have been working all summer for the stamina they had.

"Alright, class is over! Go take your showers and try to be quicker next time so we can play easy!" Amon patted several of the kids' tired backs.

In the locker room, there were steady complaints.

"Oh, my god! I thought I was going to die!" Ru said morosely. "I can't believe we had the time to almost kill ourselves like that." He kept sneaking glances at Raoul's body. The Blondie just so happened to be standing next to him in the shower. It had nothing to do with the fact that Ru nearly ran to the open showerhead closest to him.

"Has it always been this hard?" Ru asked Raoul, who was still breathing a bit heavily.

"We never did anything quite as terrible as that," Omaki answered for him. Running his hands through his hair, he looked like an actor in a commercial, and Ru appreciated his tall, muscular form as well, but admittedly not as much as he did Raoul's, whose creases of muscle ran deeper into the skin. Ru knew the favoritism wasn't lost on Omaki, so he winked at him. Omaki winked back.

"I can't wait until we start practicing magic again," Riki said loudly, exuberantly. Guy stood to the left, Norris to his right, and several other of his mongrel friends around, providing a substantial barrier against Iason- Sarius noticed this with amusement.

But Xian was close, just a man away from Riki. The Blondie asked innocently, "What sort of powers do you have?"

"The regular stuff."

"Like what?"

"Like, shooting magic and healing extra fast."

"You don't have anything special?"

"I'mma show you the video one day. We all-" He gestured around the showers. "-got our magic around the same day, 'cept for Katze."

As usual, Riki avoided directly talking about his powers. His powers _were_ strange, and perhaps dangerous to share. Who knows what sort of evil things could happen if people knew what he could do? When Riki said one day, it could mean never. Anyway, Riki had no intention of being best buddies with any of the Blondies.

But Sarius was abundantly sure that things would end up with them being friends. Maybe even the best of friends. He was good at things like this and he could feel the unspoken magnetism between the three groups- the Elites of Midas, Blondies of Eos, and mongrels of Ceres. It may be because they were raised together once upon a time and their spirits recognize familiarity. Nonetheless, they were together now, and they would be for the rest of the year, at least.

Sarius turned around to glance at Iason. His sinewy body was covered in little rivers of water and he seemed intent on shampooing his hair, then combing through the conditioning with his fingers. When Riki started talking again, though, his whole body turned towards the voice.

"I mean, we can't just go 'round tellin' secrets like that."

Xian asked, "It's a secret?"

"Don't you have secrets?"

"Y-Yea?"

"Is that a question?"

"No?"

Riki sighed loudly. "Look, let's save this convo for another time."

"Ok."

Riki didn't talk again, and neither did Iason turn.

Yes, Sarius thought, it was inevitable.


	13. Prey

**AN**: A couple of cute chapters. But really look forward to next week. I tend to do a lot of character development at first, and then I jump right into the action. And next week, the shit really hits the fan. It starts to get a little sad, too… If you think about it.

Thank you for the reviews! :D Please leave them after you read- or else I get really discouraged… as you've probably guessed.

**Shishi:** Yes, Riki has secrets. It took me a long time to actually figure out what they are… I'm glad you liked those two chapters! And I hope you enjoy these… Even if they are changes in POV, but there's a reason for them… . Yes, it is an AU! Sorry… I really didn't make that clear… I don't think I made much of anything clear… Sorry…

**Haha: ^^; **I just think that stripping a bit of a story is not that different from stripping all of it. I pull out all the stops when writing any sort of fanfiction, but I try really hard to keep the people in character. I just wanted everyone to know that I was using Kira's characters… I'm sure she wouldn't mind.. -_-* Where is she? Thank you for your review! It made me think really hard. Seriously.

**Danib819: **I update every Friday! :D Thanks for reviewing! And I hope I can meet your expectations!

Juthian's POV

Prey

Xian Sami was a man eyes should feast on!

At least, Juthian thought so. He's had plenty of lovers, plenty, even more than Ima, and he greatly enjoyed selling himself for money, as much as Riki absolutely loathed it. But, Riki was no papa of his, and as long as he didn't tattle to Amon, things were fine.

But he hadn't sold himself in a while, not since he had met Xian. Now, Juthian was in the mind for a conquest, and his treasure would be the Blondie with the golden eyes. First, he needed to undergo a few minor revisions with his appearance, and he'll be absolutely perfect.

In lunch, Juthian sat across from him, so as not to seem too obvious, and not have Xian shy away from him. Then he might lose him, or his friends (Heiku and Raoul in particular, though Raoul seemed a little slow) might convince him that their tryst be illicit. It would be, sort of, but Juthian has been with enough guys and girls to not care about that sort of thing.

Xian wouldn't meet his eyes.

"You need a new hairdo," Juthian proffered, talking around his roasted beets, a food he has never tasted before but took a liking to quite readily. "All you Blondies look the same from the back, and, if people don't look closely enough, your faces look almost the same, too."

"Well then maybe you people need to look more carefully," Raoul growled. He was stabbing his food with his fork, his pork roast holey with his ministrations.

"Anyway," Juthian continued, "I propose you tie a braid in your hair, or some ribbons."

"Wibbons?" Xian said around his spoon of mashed potatoes. He swallowed. "Aren't those girly?"

Ima and the other girls hmphed and let out several of the word "Hey!" from their end of the table. Juthian knew that they didn't appreciate at all sexist remarks like that. Xian looked towards the noise they made and, Juthian guessed, wasn't quite sure what the commotion was about.

Juthian told him amiably, "You can make it look real manly, being such a stud like yourself."

Xian fumbled with his spoon for his tomato soup. "I'm not a stud," he murmured, not looking into Juthian's interested eyes.

There was a cracking sound that rang out through the cafeteria and Xian and Juthian turned towards the sound.

Raoul had broken his plate, and he cursed, "Damn it all!"

A waitress came over shortly to clean up the mess, and Raoul stood, tapping his foot impatiently for her to finish. When she was done, he nearly shoved her away to sit back down, grab another plate, heap it with food, and stab the food some more. His fork once again scraped dangerously into the plate.

"What is wrong?" Xian asked, concerned.

"Nothing," Raoul spat.

Xian looked at Juthian, who shrugged.

"There's obviously something wrong."

"And what do you care, mongrel?"

"Oh, we're back to saying names, Blondie brat? "

"Yes, i_mongrel_/i, we're back to saying names."

"Oh, fuck you!"

"Fuck you right the hell back!" Raoul shouted.

The cafeteria (because nobody minded their business; you know how teenagers are) went absolutely quiet. Pin drops like thunder.

Juthian was quite flabbergasted! He didn't think the Blondie had it in him. So the mongrel shoved Yui in the ribs with his elbow. Yui was sitting next to him, and he made a face that said quite clearly, 'What the hell am I supposed to do?' Juthian lifted his eyebrows and gestured: 'Anything!'

Yui looked at the ceiling of the cafeteria, something he did when he was thinking hard, and he brought his head down when he realized what to say.

"Did Professor Sni not like your paintings?"

"He hated them," Raoul said quickly, stabbing his food with a particular thrust. "With a passion! The snobby bastard had the gall to call my paintings the worst of all his classes. I can understand if my paintings weren't the best- there was Qwenyth who drew two ice cubes rubbing together to make fire- but to call them ugly, distasteful, and downright disgusting! I could choke him."

"Don't say that," Yui chided gently. "I thought you knew he wouldn't like them? And that all that mattered was that you liked them."

"I can't enjoy them if I don't have them." His face contorted in anger. "Damn bastard."

Yui looked at the rest of them. "What happened to the paintings?" he asked.

"He ripped them apart after I called him a bitter old fucker."

Juthian had a new sense of respect for Raoul; he seemed naughtier than he thought.

"He got all of 'em?" Riki asked, chewing on his bone with sharp teeth, his tails wagging happily over the food even as he was immersed in the grim conversation.

"No, he held some of them in his hand." Raoul put his hands like so for demonstration. "And I had hidden the portrait of Yui away under my desk because I… I just didn't want him critiquing it. He's such a… a…"

"Try not to break your plate," Yui said in one breath just as Raoul poised his fork.

Raoul dropped his utensil. "I'm not hungry."

There was quiet at the table, Raoul's foul mood permeating everywhere, except for Juthian, who was not as easily influenced by such dark atmospheres. Xian, on the other hand, sat hunched next to Raoul, as if he didn't want to blink too loudly so as not to disturb his Blondie friend.

Juthian looked at Xian. Xian looked at him, then slowly at Raoul.

"I think you should apologize to Juthian, Raoul." This was said so softly Juthian could hardly hear, but he was mighty happy at what he managed to catch.

"To whom?"

There was a general sigh at the table.

"Is Xian talking up to Raoul?" Omaki gasped extravagantly. "I must be falling into another dimension!"

"Shut up, Omaki," Xian muttered, then cowered once more under Raoul's gaze.

"Whose Juthian?" Raoul asked again.

"Him."

"And why should I apologize to him? If I don't mean it, then I might as well not do it at all," Raoul said, obviously borrowing the reasoning from Yui.

"But do you enjoy being a bastard like that, though?"

"I don't really care."

"You'd care if Yui thought you were a bastard."

"Oh-ho, play that trump card," Norris said, grinning and elbowing Sid and Luke. The Talk Trio were smiling wildly and giggling.

"Yui doesn't think I'm a bastard! So shut the hell up, Xian."

Xian looked at Yui and his face fell. Yui's look was one of 'Please don't put me into this'.

Xian sighed, giving Juthian apologetic eyes.

"Don't worry about that grumbling goofball. I don't need his half-assed apologies, anyway, though I'm surprised you guys are friends with him."

"He's better than how he usually presents himself."

"I bet." They continued eating, the lunchroom getting into the regular uproar of things, and Juthian then asked, "So what do _you_ like to do for fun?"

Xian, obviously finished with his meal, searched elsewhere for a distraction, but settled on Juthian's steady, shining eyes. "I don't really have any other hobbies other than hanging out."

"Don't you listen to music?"

"Oh, yea, that too."

"What kind of music do you like to listen to, other than rock and roll?"

"I like just about anything really… But I really like rock and roll, without too much distortion of the sound. I like it clean- I know it might be boring to some people but I really like it."

"I don't think that crispness is all that boring, but it's pretty tight to see how fast and hard some people can play."

"Oooh, oooh! Vaessi can play real hard," Nico said, brandishing a hand in Vaessi's direction. The thin-haired Blondie waved slowly.

"It's good… to see… you are still interested… in music," Vaessi said slowly and carefully. "It's like all of you... haven't changed…" Vaessi closed his eyes.

"Are you tired?" Juthian asked, concerned.

"No, no, just thinking. About music. I think really hard about it sometimes… Sometimes, I forget how to speak, you know…"

"Not really."

"Do you like music?" Xian inquired.

Juthian believed that Xian wanted his attention back (and he would be right).

"I love music soooo much! I really like the dancing kind. Dancing is one of my favorite things to do."

"Oh… Dancing…"

Juthian laughed. "Don't like that too much, do you, Xian?"

(Xian blushed, liking the way his name left those teasing lips). "It's alright. It's just that I don't do much dancing."

"Blondies don't do much dancing, period."

"Yea."

An awkward silence as Xian searched for something else to say, and he simply opted for scratching his head nervously. Juthian smiled, enjoying quite a bit his discomfort. He was a bit of a sadist like that.

"Movies?"

"Definitely comedy, preferably action comedy."

"Do you like horror films?"

"Not really," was the wishy-washy answer.

"I hate them! Especially the movies from Xeron-"

"Oh, like, _Face_?"

"Especially!"

"That movie gave me nightmares," Iason said unobtrusively.

As soon as Iason spoke, Raoul was the one to say, "What movie?"

"_Face_."

Omaki was smiling. "I particularly liked the life-likeness."

"There is something wrong with you, Omaki," Raoul answered with a snarl. "That movie was worse than _Down_."

"You know, when people say worse, they mean it is a particularly bad movie, not scary."

"If you say it is scary, you admit a weakness," Toma stated smartly.

Riki said, with much avoidance in his tone, "Those movies were alright."

"I bet you wouldn't watch them again."

"I bet I could."

"You couldn't!"

"I could!"

"Could not."

"Could!"

"We have the movie," Heiku brought up, innocently enough. "You could solve your contest without screaming across the table."

"How 'bout it, Riki?" Toma said quickly. "We borrow their movie and see if you can watch it alone for half an hour?"

"Alone? Why alone?"

"You scared to be alone?"

Riki bristled at this, his ears starkly upright, and his tails brushing side-to-side in proud anger.

"No," he said. "And I bet I could watch the whole movie alone!"

"All right, then."

Riki and Toma turned away from each other. One laughing and the other not even cracking a smile.

"Why do you do him like that, Toma?" Juthian asked his friend.

Toma, still giggling, said between breaths, "I don't know. It's just so much fun getting him all riled!"

"You big tease!"

"Coming from someone who wouldn't let a poor Blondie alone."

"Xian likes talking to me, don't you, Xian?"

Xian blinked, golden eyes wide and confused. "Yes… Yes, I do." 

Juthian now wanted to tease _Xian_.

"You like the way I say your name? _Xian_," Juthian said most deliberately, enunciating each of the syllables and consonants with utmost separateness.

Xian licked his lips. "It sounds really nice when you say my name like that."

Juthian giggled.

"If you two don't stop, I will throw up," Katze said from down the table.

"No one is telling you to listen. Why don't you schmooze up to your own boyfriend and ignore us?"

"We're boyfriends?" Xian squeaked.

"Are we boys?"

"Yes?"

"Yes. And are we friends?"

"I think so."

"I think so, too. So we are boyfriends! Isn't that fantastic?"

A little disappointedly, Xian said, "Oh, yea."

Juthian grinned at his look, liking this immature Blondie who wore his feelings on his face so readily.

He heard Riki demand, "Make sure you bring that movie here tomorrow."

"Why don't you watch it at our place?" Iason offered, and Juthian could swear he heard Guy bark:

"We don't need to watch it at your place. We can find a place."

"Find? Do you not have a viewer or television of your own?"

"Of course they don't, Iason," Raoul said, whistling for a waitress and ordering a dark cola. "Mongrels only steal."

"No, we don't," Yui said quickly, eyebrows faintly screwed as they did when he was upset.

"Not you, Yui."

The mongrel blushed, with Juthian noticing the irony of the situation. Yui was the best pickpocket out of all of them. He could bump the same person twice in one day and still have that guy say, "Excuse me!" without noticing a thing was amiss.

"It'll be a nice get together, to commemorate a whole new year."

"We don't need to commemorate nothing," Guy spat, and Juthian rolled his eyes. Stupid Guy had to be so outwardly jealous, it was probably feeding Iason's sadistic side. But Juthian wasn't going to say anything about that, best to just let things go as they will.

But then again…

"I wouldn't mind going to ya'll's house," Juthian said with a lively voice. "I mean, even if they don't want to, I do."

"You want to come? Are you sure? What about… What about our part of town? Don't you think- Don' you think it is dangerous?" Xian stuttered. "It-It won't be good, right?"

"I think I can take my chances, me having a big stud like you to guard me."

Xian stared at him, probably looking at his muscles bulging from inside his sleeveless shirt.

"I think that I'm not so much a guard as a hindrance."

"Oh, you're better than that."

Katze gagged; Daryl giggled.

"Well, if you're sure… You're welcome to our place."

"And how can you make that offering without consulting the other inhabitants of the house?" Raoul demanded.

"What the, Raoul? You invited Yui, nearly forced him, I say!"

His Blondie friend quieted, then turned away to Iason to say, "And what do you think?"

"I think they are all quite invited."

"Me, too," Heiku said sourly, "If anyone deigned to ask me."

"Hmph," Raoul said.

"I'll come this weekend," Juthian stated. "Just give me your address."

Xian told him with a shaking voice.

"All right!"

"Oh, hey," Xian asked Toma. "What class are you in for Nini's class? I heard you talking about it in the showers during gym."

"Why do you care what class I'm in?"

"I want to take it with friends."

"Aw! You're cute! We're in third period on Elective Days."

"Okay, thanks." He stood up. "I'mma change it right now."

"I'll go with you," Heiku said- and the other Blondies agreed to leave to change their schedules so that as many of them- nearly all of them- could have the same period as the mongrels- who also went with them to change their schedules- in Eadni's class.

And so, the next day, Home Economics' third period class was filled to the brim, Xian and Juthian sitting right next to each other.


	14. It's Magic!

Amon Qentu's POV

It's Magic!

Many things came in abundance to Amon Qentu: lovers, friends, children- even money and food. He has had a better life than any other mongrel in Amoi, save for those who managed to get off the planet. But the good things came slowly to him, because of his appearance. He was a huge mongrel, and he had often lied about his age when younger to avoid the usual oh-my-god's and no-really-what-is-your-age's. He used to have such a complex over his height that he would hide in his house for days.

But then he had sex with an older friend of his, who had no idea that he was really only ten at the height of five-feet-nine. Now, sex came _very _easy to him. If it ever came to him to roam the streets for lovers, there was an available man- or woman- at every corner.

But that was beside the point because he already had a wonderful lover that he has recently reconnected with. After breaking off their relationship some nine years ago, he has been pining for his old flame. When he saw Eadni again at a faculty meeting during the summer, the fire in his heart flared like the sun.

Eadni hadn't changed, not his clothes, his attitude, nor his love for children. It was like they were never separated at all, but had a short break from each other, something they regularly did when they were raising the kids together.

Now the kids had grown up into wonderful sixteen-fifteen-and fourteen-year-olds. They had their problems here and there, but overall they were good kids, mostly healthy, talented.

At the moment on this third day of school, an Elective day, they had changed and sat at their spots in the gym. Even though he and Hwen had made sure that the students were kept apart from those with whom they could be most talkative, it was still a very noisy gym. He could hear Riki yelling across the gym at Guy.

But Amon wasn't really paying attention to all that. Megala Chi was in his spot in a specially chosen space nearest the gym doors that went out to the hallway, and this was whom Amon watched. Hwen then came in, carrying a stack of papers.

"Alright, all of you!" Amon barked, effectively silencing the whole gym. "We have something from the school board that can make this class very easy for you. Refuse it, and this class will be very boring. For those of you that refuse, you will be trained on a separate schedule from the _majority _of the classroom. Please keep that in mind."

Hwen was passing out the sheets of paper. When most of the students had received one, and read it, Raoul read out loud, "'Those lacking supernatural abilities have the option to be put in physical jeopardy in order to invigorate said abilities'."

"Yea, what the hell does that mean?" Norris asked.

"It means," Sarius answered, "that someone can hit you in order for you to get magic."

"And what does 'Sign below if, in the case of present said abilities, you allow the use of physical force, which may cause permanent repercussions, in order to better yourself for future encounters' mean?"

This time Ru said, "You just keep getting lost in the words. You never were good at keeping up with what you read. Anyway, it just means that, if you want to get better at magic, you allow people to totally kick your ass."

"So it is a waiver form?"

"It says that at the top, Norris."

"Oh… Oh, I see!"

Ru shook his head.

Amon explained further, "So those of you who want to sign it will be able to jumpstart your magic and be able to participate in magic exercises. Those of you who don't, well, you're just going to do physical training each and every day."

"Will we be able to play games?" Xian asked.

Amon was slightly disappointed that Xian would ask that question, as he had hoped that Xian would be one of the ones to sign, but it was expected that some of the Blondies wouldn't sign.

"Yea, but ya'll play on your own teams, because it would be unfair for those with magic to play against those without."

Xian looked around, then back up at him with those golden eyes again. Amon couldn't see him as a fifteen-year-old; he didn't look a shade over two!

"Where're the pens?"

Amon grinned. "I'll go get some."

Behind his back, Amon could hear others ask Xian, "You're signing it? But he gets to hit you with magic."

"It hurts like hell," Riki said aloud.

"Well, it's just one hit," Xian reasoned. "I can deal with it."

"He has to hit you hard enough that you gotta be afraid of getting hit again. It's not enough just to get smacked around. You gotta be scared! Real scared!"

"Were you real scared?"

Riki was silent before he answered, "Yea."

Amon frowned. He knew what happened to the mongrel kids. The way they got magic wasn't something that he would wish on anybody. Well, maybe some people, like the ones who had organized the circumstances that made their magic happen- but those people were rotting wherever the police- the good police- had made their graves, or maybe they were cremated.

He had gotten there too late to help some of the kids, but he was glad to help those who had survived.

Amon got the pens, came back, and began passing them around.

"If you already know that you don't want to participate in the magic side of things, just give me your paper."

Aro and Jaden handed theirs back, glaring at Amon, and so did some of the Blondies and Elites.

But that didn't matter, because his favorites (Yes, he had favorites. Of course, he did!) didn't hand them back until they had signed them.

What's more, the Ceres and Midas kids that already had magic gave theirs back with creative signatures, especially Nico, who swerved his letters with utmost grace, as if he was already famous and was giving an autograph instead of signing a P.E. waiver form.

Aertis and Zusin also signed, along with Odi, Tai, and the twins Askel and Freyn. Askel and Freyn Amon had taught back in Ceres. They were a bickering duo that had incredible luck, and were one of the few kids in Ceres that didn't have magic. Amon was proud that they wanted to try it out.

When all the signs had been returned or signed and turned in, Hwen told the kids, "You can change your mind at any time. Just keep in mind that you will be graded based on your current signing. Those of you into the magic business will be based on how well you learn magic and the physical aspect of this class; those of you in the plain physical education will only be graded on that. It may be unfair, but those of you doing magic will be held on a higher scale."

"Can you do magic?" someone asked.

Hwen closed his eyes. The entire class was silent for his answer. Suddenly, Hwen got into a stance, lowering his body on bent knees and angling his arms. In two punches, two gusts of fire left his fists. The gym went into an uproar.

"He can do magic!" was the general consensus.

A little red in the face, Hwen continued, "Those of you who have signed to receive magic will have the choice of fighting either Amon or me."

"Fighting?" Raoul said aloud.

"A simple hit will not do."

"Told you," Riki said.

"And," Hwen went on, "we shall go outside. Those of you on the pure P.E. route will sit out on today's activities." There was small cheering.

And so they went outside. It was good weather, still nice and warm. They were straight on the field, rarely used except for the rare outside pep rallies (rallies were rare by themselves, before the school became totally integrated). The students stood more or less in a straight line. They were a quiet bunch, pensive, especially those who had in mind to fight one of the two coaches.

Both had taken off their shirts to show off ripped torsos.

"Oooh, baby," Amon heard Ima murmur to Gwen, "Blondie got abs you can grate cheese on, don't he?"

"Hell, yea," was the answer.

Amon looked straight at Ima, who, upon discerning his gaze, flushed red, yet perked her chin up smugly, one eyebrow raised. He only shook his head at her haughtiness. Since she was little, he had a feeling that she would turn out to be a little self-made princess. It was cute when she was little, but now, well, the smugness kind of irritated him. Oh, well, all children grew up eventually. Plus, it wasn't like she wasn't totally uncute.

Amon clapped his hands together; most of the students jumped.

"Who's up?"

Odi, the handsome senior, came out of the line. Some of the students clapped for him.

"What school you from?" Amon asked.

"Midas, sir."

"Well, it's not all that often you see a mong- wolf my size is it?"

"I don't think anyone has seen a wolf your size other than you."

"Yea, you're right," Amon laughed. "So… Me or Hwen."

"No disrespect, sir, but I'd much rather go against Hwen."

"No problem." Amon addressed the other students. "Anyone want to face me?" He waited, not surprised when there weren't any takers. "Hwen's gon be a very busy guy today."

Odi, brown hair short and straight, shook it out of his eyes. He was a built young man with a few abs of his own. He stretched for approximately seven minutes before facing off against Hwen.

"This will hurt," warned Hwen.

"Give me your all, sir."

And Hwen did. Without delay, Hwen took four super quick steps and was next to Odi, who was still looking far forward to where Hwen was standing before. Hwen stretched his arm back and then shot it forward with a flash of light and fire, striking Odi's stomach. Odi made only a gasp and soon was flying across the field, rolling head over heels, spinning on his side until finally he stopped, a good many yards away.

Amon watched carefully as Odi lied still.

"You think I went too hard on him?" Hwen asked gruffly, hands on his hips. "Thought he would be a sturdier boy."

"Nah, you were right on point."

Finally, Odi began to struggle to his forearms, then his hands and knees. He kept coughing up blood and soon only made it to his back, breathing so loud that the rest could hear him.

"Get up!" Hwen roared. "Get up and face me again!"

Amon added with more helpful material, "Feel for that energy that he shot into you! It's still there! Tug on it and you'll be using magic!"

"I'm coming after you again," Hwen said, charging.

Amon couldn't see well because the other coach's body was in the way- then Hwen was picking Odi up from the grass, turning him around, and hitting him again in his stomach. Odi landed right back where he started, body and clothes singeing with excess fire. He hardly got to his two feet before Hwen was on him again.

It was solid five minutes of Hwen thoroughly kicking Odi's ass- and him standing up each time and earning the respect of most of the students in the lineup- that Hwen, tired out, stopped.

Amon put his hand between Hwen and Odi and said gloomily, "This ain't working."

And he knew it wasn't and he told him the guess on why it wasn't: "You're not scared enough."

"I don't _like_ him hitting me," Odi protested before hacking up nearly a lung.

"Well… Lemme fix you up." Amon pressed his hands to Odi's body, and his hands began to shine. "Better?"

"Yea… A lot!" Odi exclaimed.

"Why isn't it working?" Aertis asked. "All Mrir did was punch Zusin in the stomach and it worked. Odi's getting his can kicked all over the place."

"Yea, but he knows Hwen ain't gonna kill him, and so, he ain't scared enough."

Amon's heart dropped as some of the students' faces fell in disappointment, Xian especially. That boy always wore his feelings on his sleeves.

"There are other ways," Amon heard.

"Meg?" Nico asked, turning around to Megala, whose head was so far down that his hair hid his face. "Did you say something, Meg?"

Amon knew Megala was the type to hide further if cornered (and eyes on him made him feel like a rabbit in a trap) so he said, "He's right. There are other ways."

"What are they?" Hwen demanded. "Anything easier than me having to beat them three ways from yesterday?"

Amon scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. "Well, one way- and, mind ya', you gotta do it with a person who has magic- is to have sex. And that moment when you have that orgasm, bam, you can pull on that, and you got magic."

He smiled at the embarrassed faces.

"But I guess that isn't a… whatchacallit… feasible option for you Blondies, and I'm not encouraging it… Just want to let ya'll know.

"Another way is to get real sad. It's like getting real scared… And it's also not very feasible… Since, like, someone would have to die for you to get that sad to get magic."

"That's how I got magic," came Megala's tiny voice.

Amon's heart broke, but he continued, "Another way is to get real angry."

"Hey, Raoul, you should be able to get magic real quick, then," Xian said innocently.

"What are you trying to say?" Raoul demanded.

Xian blinked. "I'm saying that you can get magic real quick because you get angry easily."

"That might actually work against him, since he is used to being angry," Heiku reasoned.

"Well, this is an utter failure," Aro voiced aloud. "You guys signed those stupid waiver forms for nothing."

"At least they had the balls to do it," Riki spat back. "You guys couldn't last three seconds in an ass-beating like that, pussies."

"Hey!" Ima punched Riki in the arm. "That is offensive!"

Riki rubbed his arm, murmuring an apology.

"Who would want to put himself in a position to get hurt like that for no reason?" Aro continued, stepping into Riki's line of view.

"There is a reason for this!" Hwen yelled, towering over Aro. "Do you think I pulled my magic out of my ass? No! I was nearly killed while chaperoning students like yourselves!"

"When was this, Master Hwen?" Heiku asked.

Hwen, face now completely scarlet, calmed himself down with a few breaths. "It was sometimes during the summer, while I was doing some tutoring during summer schooling last year, and there was an incident while on a field trip. Aliens, of a different sort that had attacked Aertis, had surrounded us outside a shop. The owner of the shop… The bastard was in on it. They killed two of the students and beat me nearly to death. For some reason, they wanted me alive… I managed to get back up and, using magic, burned them to ashes."

He shook his head, face uncharacteristically creased with sorrow and regret. He looked as if he was about to cry, but then he regained composure and stood tall.

"I wish you didn't have to sign the waiver form, but Sung said it would be fair to all students… If it were up to me, all of you would be trying your best to get yourself ready for magic."

"Well, I'm glad it's not up to you," Aro said nastily.

For a second, Amon thought Hwen was going to hit Aro outright (And Amon would have happily pretended that he didn't see a thing), but all he did was grab Aro around his neck and command him to do laps until he died, or class ended, whichever came first. Aro sniffed, but began his run anyway.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Xian asked.

"There's another way," came Meg's tiny voice once again.

"How?" Amon asked, sure the ways have been exhausted. Quickly, he added, "Don't all ya'll stare at him like that."

Some of the students, knowing what he was talking about, looked away. It was enough that Meg didn't freeze up.

"E-Everyone is born with magic inside them- It's not 'getting magic' when you use it for the first time. It's… It's…" His voice got small. "It's… It is like having the ability to lift weights. No…"

"Just get on with it, you blubbering idiot!"

"Shut the hell up, Jaden!" yelled Nico, "Let him talk."

Meg hid a little behind Nico, voice as small as ever, "It's just already inside in, hidden beneath something. There's something wrong with us inside the Grid. Those outside the Grid don't have the problem that we do- they are born with magic."

Some of the students were looking at Amon and Hwen oddly. Hwen whispered, "There're people outside the Grid?"

"Jupiter has done something to us… But we are protected… But not for long… That's why we have to learn magic… The big monsters have been getting through and taking more people than the bad men have been kidnapping…"

"Meg? What were you about to say about magic?" Amon interrupted, not because the conversation was actually diverging as it was, but because this bit of news was unsettling, and he was going to have a long talk with Konami Sung about it.

"Huh?" was Meg's smart answer.

"How else do you get magic."

"Someone can suck the magic out, but it is very painful. Extremely."

"How do you know that? You said you got magic by being sad," Amon asked very softly, trying not to remind Meg too much of that time with hard harsh words. It wasn't as if he was an expert with Meg, but children like him, especially kids that have just received magic, were people that he had a lot experience with.

"I saw it," Meg answered. "And I did it; it takes a lot of practiced not to suck all the magic out of a person."

"Yikes. Maybe we shouldn't try that, then."

One of the students asked why.

"Once all of the magic is out of ya', ya' dead."

"Oh."

Blushing very red, Meg voiced, "I could do it. I've had a lot of practice."

"Why would they want you to get magic out of somebody?" Iason asked. Amon mentally gave him kudos for the vague 'they'.

"They used it for new recruits. Those that didn't go through with it were killed."

"Does it hurt that bad?"

"Yes."

"I will rest a bit," Odi said sheepishly.

"Then I'll go!" Xian shouted excitedly, jumping in front of Megala. "What do you have to do?"

"I have to kiss you."

"What? But that'll be my first kiss!"

The class started to laugh, and Xian blushed red.

"Well, I can try your forehead, but that is so painful that most people just pass out."

"I want to do that." Xian bent down a little so that he could present his forehead to Meg's pouty lips.

Meg pressed his lips down. "You ready?"

"Yea?"

"Do you want me to stop when you start screaming?"

"Haha! That tickles! But no."

"Perhaps we should have a safeword? Something to say when you're absolutely sure that you want to stop."

"Okay, it'll be soufflé."

"Why soufflé?" Juthian laughed with the others.

"I-I don't know," Xian stammered. "Just thought of it. Okay, you can start."

"Now, I will nod if you have any questions, because I can't speak while I'm doing this."

"Alright."

"I'm starting."

"Ok."

Amon watched as Megala sucked in his cheeks, holding Xian by the shoulders. For a few minutes, the rest of the class watched thus.

"Is he supposed to glow?" a Blondie asked.

Megala nodded.

"Is it in my stomach?" Xian inquired.

"Yes," a mongrel answered.

"Yea, it hurts there. A lot. Ow!"

The glowing spread from his stomach; the larger it got, the more Xian vocalized his discomfort.

Tears began to form around the corner of his eyes, and then they spilled over.

"Fuck," he whimpered.

"My word, Xian, say soufflé!" Heiku yelled.

"No!" Juthian said, "You can do it, Xian!"

Xian stamped his foot. "Shit!" he screamed.

"He's not even an eighth of a way done, is he, Meg?" Amon asked.

Meg's eyes went a little sad, and he shook his head negatively.

"Then stop."

"No!" Xian said desperately. "I can… can… can…" He couldn't finish. He had his eyes squeezing shut.

"Don't pass out, man," Riki encouraged. "You got this."

The shining grew steadily, and slowly. Amon checked his watch and saw that class was about to end. By then, the glow had reached Xian's ankles after crossing over to his arms and halfway up his face. He was screaming, but wouldn't say the safeword. The richer part of the class, afraid for his life, told him to say it; the mongrels, and Omaki, told him to hang in there.

Hwen called out, "Shouldn't we stop this?"

"Xian signed up for this. He can do it."

"Aaaaaaaa! Fuck! It's like fucking glass!" Xian cursed, then puked on the ground. Megala expertly moved his feet away and dipped down with him, continuing his work on Xian's forehead.

"You're almost finished," Juthian said happily.

"SOUFFLE! SOUFFLE!" was Xian's answer to that.

"No, don't stop, Megala!"

"SOUFFLE, DAMN IT!"

"He's almost done!"

Megala creased his eyebrows, but didn't stop. Amon didn't want him to stop either. If Xian got magic today, that'll be some progress to relate to the principal, who might pass the word on to top dog Head of the Syndicate.

Hwen looked at him, the kids, Xian and Megala, and pressed his hands to his head, absolutely baffled.

Xian fell backwards, yelling his lungs out. Megala, dodging the puke, straddled him.

All around there were naysayers and boosters. Megala kept it up until the glow reached the tips of Xian's toes, now effectively covering his entire body. The shining of his body became unbearable, and the students and teachers closed their eyes, which was kind of scary. Amon could hear Xian's last screams.

When the back of his eyelids changed to a regular shade of red, he opened his eyes. Meg had stood up and Xian was on his back, breathing hard. His face shone with sweat, hair a complete mess. Everyone stood around him.

His clothes had changed to carefully gold-decorated loose pants and tight shirt showing off his midriff. There were earrings in his ear and rings on his fingers.

Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, and many of the people gasped. Amon said, "Holy shit!"

Xian opened his eyes wide.

"Woah! Xian!" Juthian exclaimed.

"If his eyes were sexy before," murmured Ru.

Sarius laughed, "If _he _was sexy before!"

The gold of Xian's eyes was moving, swirling in opposite directions. The effect proved quite astonishing, mesmerizing.

After a moment of just lying there, Meg asked, "Do you know who we are, Xian?"

"I think so…"

"What do you mean you think so?" Raoul barked. "Do you, or do you not recognize us?"

"You're Raoul," Xian muttered. "Yea, I remember… It… It seems like such a long time ago since I've seen all of you."

"I'm sorry, Xian," Megala said, tearing up. "You were just so close, and you had to tap into your magic eventually, that I just kept going."

"It's alright," Xian gasped, getting up.

"How do things look?" Juthian asked excitedly. He helped the Blondie up.

"To be honest, I've always been able to see strange things."

"Really?"

"Really?" echoed Heiku.

"I just never told anyone. Thought they'd figure me weird."

"So… What can you see now?" Ru came up close.

"Well… Everthing?"

Sarius huffed, as did a couple of others. "Like what?"

"Like how ya'll really look… all transformed in magic… And, if I… concentrate, I can see you naked- it doesn't matter if you cover yourself up."

This was said to Gwen, who had covered her pelvic area.

"But I'm behind you!" Gwen cried.

"I can still see you."

The students voiced similar sounds of amazement. Amon grinned.

Xian, smiling himself, shouted out a, "Woo!" and jumped. He jumped far into the air, way above their heads. Coming down, he fell over the mongrels, who held him up.

"Sorry," Xian apologized. "But that was totally worth it! What else can I do?"

"I hate to say this, you guys, but class is almost over," Amon told them. "Ya'll can tell Xian all about magic on the way to ya' next classes."

Hwen said, "Good progress today."

Aro jogged back to Jaden, huffing quite visibly. His mouth dropped open when he saw Xian (and the vomit). Xian smiled at him, but that drop turned to an all-out grimace. Aro turned his nose up and left them to go take his shower.

"Don't worry about him, Xian," Juthian said, sidling up close to Xian, whose face flushed immediately. "You have a lot to look forward to now that you have magic."

"Increased vision!" Ru said.

"Increased hearing."

"Increased hunger."

Juthian smiled. "Increased sexual appetite."

Xian's eyes widened. "You serious?"

"Yep," Riki laughed. "You'll be touching your dick more than you touch air."

Hwen cleared his throat loudly. "To your next classes, ladies and gentlemen."

Xian's clothes changed back to his gym clothes, with the same bright glow.

He looked down on himself and whispered, "Awesome."

Before Xian could leave, Amon took him by the shoulder. "Now, strange things are going to start happening to you, and life isn't going to get any easier. But I'm glad you got magic, Xixi."

"Thanks, Mony."

Amon ruffled his hair, watching after him proudly, and knowing, deep in his heart, that things were headed for the worst.


	15. Taking It BackBackBack

**AN**: Thank you danib819 for your review! I'm glad you loved the chapter and you think the story is awesome. This chapter is supposed to make you relax and then the next chapter is supposed to make you go WTF! So, I hope that happens.

Don't forget to review, the rest of you!

Eadni POV

P.S. I LOVE Eadni

Taking It Back-Back-Back

"I can't believe so many students signed up for your third period class!" Eadni Elusiax's friend said. He wasn't the first person to make the exclamation. The principal looked into it and found out that a majority of the students had been under Eadni's watch during preschool. He warned Eadni not to provide favoritism to these students, though the advice was unneeded. Konami had never met such an impartial person, when it came to children. However, if it ever was a child versus an adult, Eadni will find some clever way to make the adult be in the wrong.

Elective third period Home Economics had to change its classroom to a larger space on another side of the school. Eadni didn't mind; the more children in his class the better. He had a calming personality, a stern one, whereas the obedience of students came easily.

"Oh, it's nothing. I've had bigger classes," Eadni answered amiably. He was telling the truth. He has accommodated a hundred students in one auditorium, able to keep the students on task for whatever project they were working on.

He's always been the favorite in whatever category he was nominated for: teacher, watcher, chaperone, friend- whatever one can think of, he was it.

Sometimes, he went too far with his friendliness, but most let that slide. After all, if the school lost him, morale would be lost on many a student.

"I must go, now. See you at lunch."

"Oh, come off it, Eadni. The only person you'll see at lunch is that mon- new coach!"

"You could sit at the table with us."

Eadni's friend's face screwed up tight, and he shook his head. "I wouldn't want to intrude," he said.

"I see. Well, later." Eadni went on his way. While making his way through the halls, whereas students of all ages and sizes looked upon him with appreciative eyes and some familiar students high-fived him or blew him kisses, he met Konami Sung. The principal's eyebrows went up to his hairline.

"What in the world are you wearing, Eadni Elusiax?"

Eadni would be the first one to say that he took his prestigious status for granted, and he looked down at his light blue sleeveless blouse, denim skirt and high-heel white boots. There was also a bow holding his hair back, another shade of blue.

"Will you be crossdressing each and every day of school?" Konami crossed his arms as he inquired about this.

"Possibly," was Eadni's answer.

Konami wiped his face with one hand, a gesture Eadni remembered well. "And you did this last year?"

"Yes- I don't understand, I've always dressed like this."

"Dressing around children who don't know any better is different than when you dress around teenagers!"

"I know that. I think I am setting a good example for the teenagers to feel comfortable in their own skin, no matter what they look like."

"There's a limit!"

"There's no reason to yell. Yes, there is a limit, but I don't think I'm crossing that line. Or do you think so? I've been dressing like this for the last five years around teenagers and the worst I've gotten were disturbing love letters that I'm sure I would have received regardless of how I dressed."

Konami sighed, and Eadni knew that he knew that he had lost.

"Fine, but nothing raunchier than that!"

"Yes, sir," and Eadni continued on until he got to his classroom.

The classroom was boisterous and excited.

And the arrangement surprised Eadni beyond belief. Most of Blondies were sitting next to a Ceres kid (Eadni never, ever used mongrel), except for Aro and Jaden in the back. Eadni remembered the preschool teacher that watched them and knew for certain that they had grown to be quite the bullies. He could see it on their faces: they were in the class for the sole reason to cause trouble. But Eadni has dealt with worse than snobby teenagers who called him mongrel-lover: There were adults who called him a mongrel-lover.

The class quieted when he stepped into the room, and as excitement and smiles grew on their faces, joy blossomed from the very depths of his heart. This was the moment he dreamed of each night, a classroom of eager students.

"Hello students," he said softly, awed.

"Hi, Nini!"

"Hi, Mr. Elusiax!"

"Hi, Eadni!"

The last one was said with mocking arrogance, and Eadni could guess where it came from. He set up the projector for the large classroom, smiling the entire time. He had a case full of video disks that he intended to show in whatever order the kids were in the mood for. He already had several spliced together. They were sure to provide a fun time for most of the people in the classroom.

"What you got going, Nini?" Riki asked.

"I thought we could watch some videos today, Riki."

"Still?"

"It's the first week of school. I think we should relax," Eadni said. "To those of you who had just joined the class today, please get a book from the back and sign your name on the sheet on my desk." He heard some of the students shuffle back and forth behind his back, and then he turned around. He watched all the familiar faces and cried, "Oh, I'm so happy to see all of you! I don't see nigh an unfamiliar face!"

"What about us?" Aro asked, grinning overbearingly.

"Oh, Chien's boys?"

"How did you know?"

"You must be Aro. Between you and Jaden, you were always the more talkative."

"Is there a problem with that?"

Aro earned himself several dark glares for this, but he just sneered.

Eadni smiled, "Not at all. I just advise you not to talk while I'm talking, and that's all."

"Whatever."

Speaking to the rest of the class, Eadni asked, "Are all you ready to see videos of when you were children? I think I have videos of everyone here in the class."

"Even the freshmen?" Juthian asked, jerking a thumb to Aertis and Mrir behind them.

"Yes, actually, I have them as well. I took care of them in preschool as well."

Iason raised his hand, quite unnecessarily, and Eadni nodded his head towards him.

"Weren't they already three or four years old? Isn't that too late?"

"Yes, usually. However, special circumstances allowed me to take care of his group suddenly."

"What special circumstances?" Gwen piped up, interested.

"Some other time. Now, who's in the mood for some old memories?" Eadni inserted a video that he had strategically planned to go first. "I received all sorts of videos from different people and colleagues. Of course, a majority of these recordings came from my own collection. I really hope we can enjoy some of them today."

The recording started with a Blondie baby on all fours. Eadni was on the floor next to him, crawling forward a few steps, and the baby would follow, laughing hysterically.

From behind the camera, Amon said, "Ain't he just tickled?"

"He's not used to adults being on his level. It's just so cute!" Eadni got off his hands and sat on his heels; the baby did the same. Then, slowly, Eadni got to his feet, as if demonstrating for the child. The child, with much difficulty, managed to get on his own two feet.

"He's doing it! He's doing it! Good little Jaden!"

(The classroom let out shocked sounds. Jaden himself looked as if someone had shot him.)

The baby Jaden took several steps before tripping on his toes, landing straight on his face. He growled into the floor, then sat up again, looking mad. But his face was just too cute for him to look very convincing. In fact, he looked even cuter.

(The class saw this and looked back at Jaden, cooing and awing teasingly, and Jaden's face became very red. It got no better as the video showed Eadni picking up Jaden and giving him kisses all over his face.

"You were just too cute!" Eadni exclaimed, clapping his hands together.)

"So cute!" the Eadni on the video echoed, and then there was a shrill, "What are you doing, Eadni? And you too, mongrel!"

Eadni held Jaden on his hip and said, "Now what is it, Chien? You know we wouldn't hurt the child."

Chien, an adorable-looking Platina (adorable to Eadni, at least) came stomping inside the room, holding two Blondie babies. Several Elite acolytes followed him, holding babies of their own.

"Someone take Jaden," Chien demanded. An acolyte took him from Eadni.

"What are you doing here with your mongrel boyfriend?" Chien asked.

"Hey, I'm an Elite from Aristia!" Amon laughed from behind the camera, zooming in on Chien non-too-amused face. "Remember that."

"The likelihood of you being from Aristia is the same as me being from Alpha Zen!"

"Well, if you think he is from Ceres so much, could you please refrain from calling him a mongrel?" Eadni asked. "Who knows what he might do if he has been taunted?"

Chien shot a scared look at the camera- Amon growled, making the Platina shrink back.

"Why are you here?" Chien asked Eadni.

"I just wanted to go around making videos of the other houses on the street. Oh! Who's that?"

Another Elite helping had just walked in, carrying a single child.

"This is Aro Bloom," the acolyte said excitedly. "He's our cutest kid." The Sapphire brought Aro close to the camera.

Amon said softly, "He got the roundest little face I've ever seen in my life."

Aro did have a supremely round face. He sucked on a pacifier, the sucker bouncing up and down as he stared at Amon behind the camera. He smiled, squealing, and the pacifier fell out of his mouth. A large hand appeared in front of the camera and caught the pacifier before it fell to the floor. It was pushed back into the smiling mouth.

The camera panned over the rest of the children that were, admittedly, not as cute as Aro.

"They all look the same," Riki complained about the video when it ended.

Eadni answered, "Well, when you grow up with them, it is easier to discern their features."

"Uh, discern?"

"It is easier to tell them apart."

"So, my dears," Eadni said, putting up the video. "What would all of you like to watch- Xian! Your eyes!"

Eadni had scared poor Xian to death; the boy had jumped in his seat, the gold of his eyes splattering everywhere. Eadni was amazed, taking two long strides in order to hold Xian's face in his hands. He noticed the strong blush that overcame that face, but he didn't let go. This was the type of thing he got in trouble for, being all touchy-feely, but he couldn't care less.

"You must have magic! It's magic, isn't it?"

"Yea, Nini, I got magic today."

"Oh, what horrible thing did you have to go through? Did Amon beat you three ways from tomorrow?"

"No, that was Odi," Xian answered, freeing his face and scratching his head. "All I had to do was let Megala suck the magic right outta me."

"Oh… Suuki did say that can happen."

"Suuki?"

"My son."

Several, "You have a son?" replies answered this.

"Not literally, of course. He was brought into my care a year after I sent Aertis and his group off to school. But let's not talk about me. I'm much more interested in the magic business. Was it painful?"

Xian groaned. "It was so bad, Nini! I thought I was going to die! I'd rather get magic the way Aertis did."

"Don't say that!" Eadni admonished, though he knew why his dear Xian would say something like that (and the others would nod in agreement). "Those are life or death situations. Things could have easily gone for the worse in those circumstances. Believe me, I have seen enough to know that."

Juthian asked, "Did you see videos where they died?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Some of my colleagues weren't exactly convinced that the school needed to integrate, and for the Blondies to learn magic, until they saw some casualties."

"Weren't those, like, scary?"

"Very." Eadni did not like to dwell on those videos, which showed all sorts of tortures, defilements, and dangers which presented themselves to unprotected Elites and Ceres people alike. "And it wasn't just students. Anyone without magic, which is abundant in Tanagura, is susceptible."

"I think things are just blown all out of proportion," Aro said. "I mean, if things were so bad, why haven't we heard _anything_, and don't give me that bullshit that no one tells us anything."

Eadni turned to Aro, feeling just a tiny bit peeved. It felt like Aro was making light of what he had seen.

"It is a huge covert operation."

"Yeah, right."

"Do you remember Sisi Man?"

"Yeah."

"Mirrah Ke?"

"Yes."

"Wylee Kon Javi?"

"_Yes_."

Eadni continued the interrogation. He got thirty names in until Aro finally lost patience (Eadni expected he would only get to ten, but the world is full of surprises).

"What's this about, Eadni?" Aro demanded rudely.

Eadni didn't let the first-name-basis thing offend him. If he got angry over that, then Aro would have something to annoy him with, and that is never good for bullies.

"What happened to those Blondies?" Eadni asked calmly.

"They aren't Blondies," Aro answered quickly. "They're all Platinas- or lower." Aro said this last bit while looking at Nico and Aether.

"No, they're dead."

One Blondie of the class said quickly, "They aren't dead! I talked to Sisi just last month!"

"And his body was found in Urus at the end of last month." Eadni sat at his desk and folded his hands, looking straight at his class. "He and Dale Pendragon were kidnapped. We know they were kidnapped because cameras in Midas recorded it."

"Why didn't anyone try to find them?" Xian asked, blinking his golden eyes, which looked quite enormous with their new effects.

"The police did. They try to find all the people who go missing. But-" Eadni sighed. "-Tanagura is a large place. And some of the precincts are completely corrupted. And, on the recording, it had the kidnappers and Dale and Sisi just… just disappearing into thin air. The kidnappers wore masks. There were just too many of them; quite easily, they overpowered Sisi and Dale. It wouldn't be surprising if they had magic, either. That would explain the disappearing.

"And just think, those names are just a fraction of who goes missing each day in Tanagura _alone_."

"Just Tanagura?" Raoul exclaimed. "You mean this operation is all over Amoi?"

"Yes. That, and other planets as well."

"Does the searching go outside Tanagura?"

"There is a database holding every Elite that goes missing. Each and every police station, special operation groups, school, government and whatever organization pertaining to this matter _on the entire planet _has access to this information. But there is one thing the underground groups have that our organizations don't have."

"Magic," several of the students proffered.

"Exactly."

"Why in the _hell _are we just starting on this magic business, now?" Heiku demanded. "How long has this been going on?"

Eadni brought his hands under his chin, thinking about the meetings. He wasn't quite sure how to answer this question; he felt like he has bombarded the students with quite a bit of scary information. But… They would have to find out sooner or later.

"The people in charge of the killings and kidnappings are clever. They'll generally stay low for a few years before letting their operations spike to new levels. We teachers and staff were shown… a chart of recent patterns over the last fifty years- one smart rookie figured the pattern out. With the design they were going with, it was concluded that this could have been going on ever since Amoi opened up to other planets, giving these horrible people the chance to ship Amoians to other planets." Eadni shook his head. "Once they are on other planets… Even if they are an ally, it is out of our jurisdiction. All we can do is share the database and hope for the best."

"But… We've opened our interplanetary borders for hundreds of years now," Iason said, frowning.

Eadni dipped his head in agreement, and some of his students' eyes widened in amazement.

Eadni then banged his hands on the table. "This is not how I wanted to spend this class!"

"But this is important, Eadni," Omaki said. Eadni was surprised to see him look so serious. Omaki was never serious, and Eadni surely didn't want him serious today.

"No, we are not going to continue this conversation, no matter how important it is. The important thing all of you can do is learn magic and do your best in physical education. Promise me!"

"Yes, Nini," was their answer.

"Good! Now, what should we watch next? Oh, I know! There's a cute short, little video of when you boys were just three years old, which makes you Ceres boys and girls at about two." Eadni searched for the video, desperate to distract his students' minds from the depressing information. He popped it in as soon as he found it.

The recording showed Eadni first, smiling at the camera. In the background, the sound of a tiny incessant voice could be heard:

"After Aether let me have his cookies I ate them, then I ate mine. Then I went to play with the crayons again, only this time, this time Raoul wouldn't let me play. You know how he doesn't like to share the crayons sometimes and _you_ like to baby him and let him have his way and I don't like it but I'll listen you because I like you. So then I played ball with Iason, but he wasn't in the mood to play very long so-"

Eadni (of the video) whispered to the camera, "I made the mistake of asking Nico how his day was going. He has now taken the opportunity of explaining each detail of his day. It's cute, but it's tiring."

"Cute? Nuh-uh, it's just tiring," Amon said from behind the camera.

All the while, Nico went on. The camera turned to him. He was sitting on the floor next to Aether, gesturing with his body and hands each of the happenings of his day. (He was a cute little kid, alright.)

"Nico, honey," Eadni interrupted. "That's enough."

"But you asked me how my day was going."

"A 'it's going great' would have sufficed."

"Oh, well, it's going great!"

"That's wonderful."

"Yes." And Nico abruptly kept going with Aether, who listened intently.

The camera shook as Amon carried it on to the next group- Enil, Kyle, Vaessi, Yousi and Heiku, who seemed to be playing cards. Behind them was Ima, who was currently trying to grab Heiku's cards. Annoyed, Heiku yelled at Ima to go away.

"Be nice, Heiku," Eadni told him.

Heiku begged, "Could you please pick her up? We're trying to play Go Fish."

("How come they speak so good?" Ima asked.

"Blondies speak _well_ at an earlier age than most children. They are made that way."

"They are smarter."

"Everyone is intelligent in their own way," Eadni said softly.)

"Go Fish!" Enil yelled to Kyle. Kyle pouted and went fishing for another card.

"Who's winning?" Eadni asked.

"I am!" Enil yelled again.

"There's no need to yell."

"Sorry, Nini."

"It's alright."

"Nini~" came an even squeakier voice than Nico's.

The camera swerved around to a tiny Riki, no more than one and a half feet. His big black eyes looked at the camera.

"Yes, Riki?"

"I love you, Nini."

"I love you, too, Riki."

"Mony~"

"Yea, Riki?"

"I love you."

"I love ya', too."

Riki waddled off, towards a Blondie with a ball with his back to the camera. The Blondie turned around to reveal himself to be Iason. Iason was in the mood to play ball again. They faced each other, and Iason threw the ball. Riki caught it easily and threw it back. It slipped through Iason's fingers and he picked it up and tossed it back. Riki grabbed it from the air again, then back to Iason, who couldn't do the same.

"Catch it!" Riki demanded.

Iason answered calmly, "You can play by yourself."

"No," Riki whined. "Play with me!"

"Then don't boss me around."

Riki pouted. He simply caught the ball and threw it back towards Iason's uncoordinated hands.

The camera looked around for more children. One child was on the floor, asleep. Amon hurried over and shook the child awake.

"Wake up, Yui! It's not nap time, yet." The camera turned around to Amon, his handsome face close to the screen. "Don't want them sleeping to early; they will be kept up all night."

"But Yui is good when he is sleepy," Eadni said, then camera turning on him.

"Oh, yea, he is."

"But we can't let him sleep and not the others." And so Eadni shook Yui the rest of the way awake, and then picked him up. Yui lied down on his chest, sleepily blinking.

"I'm sweepy," he said.

"I know, hon, but you can't sleep right now. Wait until nap time."

"Okay." He was set down, and he went to Iason and Riki playing ball, the camera catching Iason missing yet again.

The camera went on to a rainbow of colored heads. They looked up and each of them raised a brightly colored doll or seriously dressed action figure. There were about fifty of these make-believe characters strewn about the eight children, and each of the children acted out the dolls' mannerisms.

"Oh, no! Don't get me Mr. Army Man! I don't like you! Ah!" a blue-haired child yelled, getting his doll lady away from a green-haired child's army man action figure.

"But I love you!" growled the green-haired boy, face contorted in earnest and lips puckered to make the gruffest sound possible.

"No! Pick me!" a Blondie child yelled, pushing his doctor-dressed figure in front of the doll lady. "I'll touch your boobies!"

"Omaki!" Eadni called.

Omaki looked up, eyes wide, his lips forming a perfectly rough 'O'.

"Don't give me that 'I'm innocent' look! You know we do not use that kind of language."

"Is that the same language we can't say, like 'shit' and 'bitch'?"

Eadni closed his eyes, opening them to look at the heavens. He then stared Omaki down. "Yes, Omaki," he answered.

"What about 'asshole' and 'cunt'? All the same language?"

"Omaki! Do you want a cookie this evening?"

"Not really," was the reply.

"Well! Then you won't get one!"

Omaki shrugged, grinning, chanting, "Bitch, bitch, bitch-"

"Omaki Ghan!"

"What? You meant that if I keep cursing I wouldn't get a cookie, right? Well, then, if I don't get a cookie, I can curse, right?"

Eadni pressed his hands over his face, mumbling, "What is wrong with this child?"

"He's too smart for his own good, that's what's wrong," Amon said. "You want a spanking?"

Another smile from Omaki. "Maybe?"

The camera lurched towards the Blondie, and Omaki jumped back in fright.

"Yea, that's what I thought."

The camera went on to Raoul, zooming in on his picture. It was a detailed portrait of Amon. It was wonderful. At least, as wonderful it could be when colored with crayon. He had a knife nearby, and every time he finished coloring a section, he would use the knife to scrape off the excess crayon so that the resulting effect was a lighter shade of the color. He didn't notice the camera.

"And these are the children!" Eadni announced, scaring some of the (including Yui, who had fallen asleep again). The Platina looked around, then at the camera, "I guess you can turn it off now."

The video ended.

"That was so pointless!" Aro voiced his discontent.

Eadni ignored him, putting in another video, whereas the children were helping him bake cookies. It was mainly the children sneaking bites of dough here and there, Amon pressing a flour-covered hand on Eadni's buttock, and Omaki making a penis out of the dough (and subsequently being kicked out of the kitchen for five minutes). Iason burned his hand trying to take out ready cookies, and Eadni kissed the boo-boo.

At one point, Amon quickly put Riki in a large pot, yelling, "I'mma boil ya' 'til ya' skin comes off!"

Riki screamed in terror, as Amon laughed. The tall mongrel was then hit, hard, by Eadni's spoon square on the head, and Riki avoided him for the rest of the video.

After this video, Eadni surveyed his class again, happily taken in each growing face, and he noticed someone he hadn't noticed before.

"Megala?"

Megala was trying to hide behind his bangs, and he hung his head lower as eyes went on him.

Eadni walked over to him, taking his chin in hand. Lifting up the face, Eadni saw a breathtaking face.

"Oh, my, you've grown up to be a beautiful boy!" Eadni exclaimed, pushing back the hair. He brought up Megala's head more and straightened his shoulders. Megala's face was red. "There! Now, you look more comfortable! Doesn't that feel good?"

Megala tapped his index fingers together shyly. "A little," came a whisper.

Not wanting to embarrass him any further, Eadni patted Megala's hands and walked back to the front of the classroom.

"So, what do you children have planned for the weekend? I know it is early, but I was hoping to hear that some of you will be hanging out."

"We will be," Omaki said. "We're going to watch _Face_."

"Oh! What a terrible movie! But, I guess it is better to watch it with friends." Eadni shook his head in disgust. "Well, what else do all of you have planned?"

Riki looked about ready to say something before Omaki intervened, "We haven't thought about it yet, but we plan to spend the _whole_ weekend together. Isn't that wonderful of us?"

Not quite getting the looks of anger the Ceres children were sending Omaki's way, Eadni's excitement grew the best of him.

"That is absolutely wonderful! I can't wait to hear about it- oh, tape it, so I can see!"

"No problem at all, Nini. We have a security camera back at home."

"How did you get one of those? I thought you stopped getting cameras after freshman year?"

"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies."

"Too late," Riki muttered.

And then the bell rang.


	16. Break

Iason POV

Break

Remember that Omaki once said that Iason only had two moods of mild disposition? Well, today, the day bordering on the weekend, the last day of the week for school, well, on this day, Iason was absolutely ecstatic. It didn't show on his face, oh, no, that would have been suicide. Guy would have strangled him, for, in an impossible stroke of luck, or by Omaki's ingeniousness, the mongrels were going to stay at their abode for two nights and two days!

On the day that this was unofficially decided, just two days before, the mongrels managed to get a table far away from the Blondies during lunch. That was only because Aro and Jaden took the middle table, at decided intervals. Iason was sure their only purpose was to break up their merry mixed gang of Elites, Blondies, and mongrels. However, thanks to Raoul, who glared at Aro and Jaden as if he was going to tear them to pieces, the next day (which would correspond to Thursday on Earth) Aro and Jaden left the table. On that day that was counterpart to Thursday, the mongrels sat on the very edges of the table, so that still they were somewhat separated, and not much talk went on.

But this Friday-like day, Raoul sat next to Yui, demanding, "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Yui looked at Riki. Riki looked at Yui. Yui looked at Raoul, and Raoul looked at Yui, quite expecting an answer from him.

"I wasn't avoiding you… I was just sitting with my friends."

Iason smiled as Raoul stared down Yui's friends. They shrunk a little, except for Riki, of course, who glared back at him. Then he caught Iason looked at him, and his eyes narrowed to slits, as if Iason had done something wrong. Iason simply smiled his signature smile, which _Guy_ saw, and he earned another glare from him.

There was a lot of bad looks going around, so with much gladness in his heart, but only in the tiny smile on his face Iason brought up, "So, I think we should go over the specifics of this weekend's visit."

"Iason," Riki muttered, putting his fork down, and subsequently the piece of lasagna hanging on the fork. "We can't just come over."

"I don't see why not."

Riki glared at him a glare that Iason was beginning to like very much. "You know very well why not. We can't be just strolling about here in Eos. We'll get… We'll get…"

"The most you would get," Iason interrupted, "is weird looks, if you come together."

"And stopped by the police," Guy grumbled.

Norris added quickly, "Multiple times."

"I don't think it will be that bad," Yui said. He only lifted an eyebrow at the ugly looks this garnered him. "I'm looking forward to it."

"As am I," Iason answered.

"We're not coming over!" Riki yelled.

"I am," was Yui's answer to this. Yui then said to Riki and the others (Norris, Guy, Sid, and Luke), "Nini is really looking forward to us getting together. Do you really want to disappoint and say 'oh, we don't like each other'?"

"Why ya' haveta go and play that card?" Norris complained.

"Because it is effective."

Norris stared daggers at Omaki. Omaki merely waved, saying, "Well, there's still the bet, isn't there?"

"Yea, but that wasn't supposed to last all weekend!"

"But now it does. Now, what time are all of you coming?"

There was some discussion about this, and it was agreed that they'll come sometime around seventeen hundred hours, with clothes and other essentials.

Then something spectacular happened. And, mostly, one recalls that spectacular has a generally positive connotation. That isn't the case here. Amazing, spectacular, awesome could all describe the next series of events, and at the moment everything was mysterious (except to Megala Chi), but everyone will come to realize that this was the day that Amoi will be subject to unimaginable evils...

First, everything became very dark. And not just outside. The lights went off, the sunlight went away. Not even the tiniest watch gave off any light. The phones lost connection, the computers shut down.

"What the fucking hell?" came a voice that Iason was sure was Riki's. But he couldn't tell because there was a rising panic in his gut. Something was telling him that this was a very bad thing happening, an awful thing.

Iason _thought_ his life would be very interesting with mongrels around, but he had no idea just how interesting it was going to be. (But, of course, this course of action was going to follow on this day whether the school integrated or not).

"Does anybody else feel it?" Yui asked morosely.

Iason felt it. It felt like doom.

The second phase was even worse. The fear in Iason's heart blossomed into unimaginable alarm- and all the lights came back bright enough to blind him. It was nothing but white light, with color so loud that even when Iason closed his eyes, he was being subject to intense light.

Thirdly, and when Iason thought he couldn't feel any more of that dread, fright overtook him. He could hardly contain the scream that threatened to tear from his throat. But then there was a gigantic sound, the sound of glass breaking, of the earth tearing, of the sky being pulled apart. The light flickered on and off between darkness and unbearable shine. The sound and the ferociousness of the sight and the fright- all of it added to the wails of not just Iason, but almost every student that was not unconscious by this time. Those that weren't screaming didn't have the strength.

Then it all stopped. Just stopped. The lights were regular, everything returned to normal very suddenly. Some more student fainted. One of them was Megala Chi, who was sitting at the far end of their table. Iason saw him strewn across the table, face still seeming to hold some of the terror, even with closed eyes.

"What was that?"

"What just happened?"

"Was that an earthquake?"

"…a storm?"

"…a tornado?"

"Did the world just fucking end?" Riki asked no one in particular. "What the hell just happened?"

No one could answer them. Students were heading over to the faculty cafeteria, but most of the teachers were coming out, talking:

"Are you alright?"

"Is everyone fine?"

"Is anyone hurt?"

"Kids, you ok?" Amon asked, reaching their table. Behind him and holding his hand was Eadni, who looked dazed.

"What's wrong with Nini?" Iason inquired instead of answering.

"He just passed out a little. But he woke up as soon as it ended- aw, damn, Megala's out. Someone call the ambulance… -lances! Ambulances! A lot of the kids are out cold." Amon looked at them and shrugged. "I don't have a phone."

"What happened, Mony?" Xian asked fretfully. "That was… That was just plain scary!"

"That's an understatement, Xixi. And I don't know what the hell just went on, but I do know one thing- it ain't nothing good."

"Oh, Amon… That was beyond dreadful!" Eadni exclaimed, eyes wide. He then turned those eyes to the table. "You boys and girls take care of each other this weekend. I'm so happy all of you decided to get together- I feel much better about the future."

"Communications are jammed!" someone yelled out. "Can't get to the paramedics!"

"So this must be happening all over town," Amon murmured. He said to the kids, "You know how you Blondies decided not to go up and get magic today in gym?"

There were several nods.

"Well, next week, you ain't got a choice. You signed the paper, Meg's going to suck the magic out of ya', even if I have to hold ya' down myself."

Several more nods answered this. Iason was just one of the many Blondies who now felt it was necessary to get magic as soon as possible, for, even if they didn't know anything else, what was certain was that there was magic, of great magnitude, involved.

A half hour later, fifteen minutes past the usual hour for the bells to ring, they were still in the cafeteria. The communications were still jammed, but most of the people have come to. Megala wasn't one of them. Then, Headmaster Sung came over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please head to the gym immediately. I repeat, everyone retreat to the gym. Those that have lost consciousness need to be carried, but everyone please make your way to the gymnasium."

Iason and everyone else in the cafeteria (Amon carried Megala) went to the gym, where, in the middle of the floor stood Sung, not even with a podium. He just had a mike, and the rest of the faculty sat on the bleachers, ready for him to speak.

When everyone was seated, or laid down, Konami started with distressing news, "I have no idea what just happened."

There were many cries of alarm. Konami waited until the people shouting stopped.

"I do know that this was caused by some very powerful magic. I have never heard nor read something like this happening to Amoi, but there is no way that this is just some electrical mishap. But I want all of you to stay calm. School will be let out early today. The buses will be here shortly.

"Listen for the news of the school perhaps reopening next week, depending on what the Head of the Syndicate relays to us. Good afternoon."

"That's it? That's all he's gonna say?" Riki said, amazed.

"He doesn't know what is going on," Iason uttered.

"Well, we don't either!"

Around an hour later, Iason and Riki were getting on separate yet similarly noisy buses. Everyone was talking about "what happened". "It" was the topic of everyone's discussion. And while riding through the streets of Eos, it seemed that was what the Elites of Tanagura were talking about as well. There were clusters of them everywhere; some could be heard yelling; some could be seen hiding in their dwellings or stores.

Then there were cars and other vehicles piled up on the streets.

"What happened here?" Xian asked.

"Probably when everything shut off, the cars fell down from hoverspace," Yousi answered, sitting right next to Heiku instead of Omaki. Iason knew that he needed comfort.

"I hope no one got hurt."

(People did, but there were no deaths.)

(Yet)

But there was more than the cars. Bits of forest had sprouted like weeds throughout Amoi. It wasn't as if they had grown over buildings or anything like that. It was as if spaces had expanded beyond the buildings and roads, and it just so happened to be filled with trees, bushes, shrubs and all sorts of plants.

Three hours later (the bus drive home taking one and a half hours!), someone was parking in Iason's and the others four-car driveway. It was a small van, and who exited the car was none other than Nico and his closest friends, including Megala. Iason, irritated that it wasn't Riki, went outside to 'greet' them.

"I didn't know we invited you."

"See?" Megala said to Nico worriedly, "I told you they don't want us here."

Iason sighed. Megala hadn't changed. "That's not what I meant, Megala."

"So we can spend the weekend here?" Nico asked, looking at the forest all around their street, even growing in the middle of the road. It was a cul-de-sac, and the trees grew in the dead end. Fortunately, the road led straight to their house.

"I suppose." Iason saw what Nico was looking at. "There weren't any trees here before."

"Didn't think so… Okay, we brought _a lot_ of food."

Sure enough, the others were unpacking loads of bags from the van. Aether came out carrying thin boxes.

"What are those?" Iason asked.

"Board games!" Nico announced. "We can't just sit in front of the screen the whole time, you know. And I was thinking we can go shopping tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow Meg can suck the magic out of you guys and see what kind of powers you have!"

Iason stared at Megala. "How about we do the magic first?"

"No! Then all we will be doing all weekend is magic!"

"I didn't know you were in charge of the festivities."

Nico waved his hand dismissively. "Well, if you're so impatient, we can do that first."

"As soon as Riki arrives."

"Speak of the devil!" Nico exclaimed, for two other large vans drove up. They were dingier than Nico's van, and the breaks squealed. The mongrels exited the van with their bags and other essentials in tow. Some carried bags of food along with their belongings.

When they came, the other Blondies inside the house came out. There was an addition to the usual ensemble: Yousi Xuuju. He stood close to Heiku, and Iason noticed the pointed look he gave Ima, and he subsequently saw Ima's scrunched-up nose reaction. Iason thought that this would also prove interesting.

Iason walked up to Riki, and, as he did so, Riki rolled his eyes, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"Did you have to run over to me first chance ya' got?"

"I didn't run. I walked quite quickly, that's all."

Another roll.

Iason changed the subject: "Since Megala is here, the rest of us can retrieve magic today."

"What? Didn't he faint earlier?" Riki brought his head around Iason's frame and looked at Megala. "You alright, man?"

"I'm o-okay."

Riki didn't look convinced, but he shrugged. He looked at Iason again. "You gonna stand there all day or are you going to let me pass? Oh? Is that the camera?"

There was indeed a camera floating above his head, surveying the whole scene.

"Too bad," Sarius said. "Now, Guy can't murder Iason in his sleep."

Guy shoved him. "Shut it, Sarius."

Sarius, Ru, and Toma laughed, carrying their stuff to the house.

"Where do you want us to put our things-" Yui cut off his question as he got out of the back of the van. "You have a huge house."

Iason looked at their three story, seven bedroom, four full bathrooms, two common rooms (both with fireplaces), deluxe kitchen house.

"Five of us live here."

"Shiiiiit, we all live in the same building," Riki whispered. Then he looked to the side of the house, walking there, and walking further still.

Iason smiled at Guy. Riki was going to find the pool.

"They have a pool!" screamed Riki. "Their own damn pool!"

The other Ceres kids, except Guy, ran towards the pool.

"Ooo, it's built into the ground!" Ru exclaimed happily. "And it's full! Can we swim in it?"

"I'm guessing you all didn't bring swimsuits," Iason said, amused.

Sheepish faces answered this.

"Well, hell. That's not what we came here for anyway," Riki spoke, but stared longingly at the pool.

Yui was looking, too, and Raoul told him, "I can buy you a swimsuit."

Yui's eyes went wide. "Oh, no, that won't be necessary."

"It's hot today."

"It's fine…" But Yui was looking at the pool, and Iason knew that he was very much tempted to take up the offer. Then Yui said, "How much money do you have?"

"I get a hundred credits a week as an allowance, and I've been saving up for a long time." Raoul cocked his head to the side. "I am unsure how much money I have, but it has to be more than seven thousand."

"Seven… Seven thousand?" Yui whispered breathlessly. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I was going to take you out to dinner-" Catcalls, catcalls, catcalls, which Raoul took no heed of. "-but since you brought your own food, and we have food in the house, that won't be necessary."

Iason knew that Raoul was totally oblivious to the nature of what he was saying, but sometimes he wondered just _how_ the guy could be so out of the loop.

Riki was the one to say, "You got a restaurant in mind that cooks food like at school?"

"That garbage?" Raoul snapped. "Of course not."

"Garbage?" Yui said. "That's the best food I've had… ever…"

"That's a pity. It's settled then."

"What's settled?"

Raoul looked at Iason, and Iason looked to the other Blondies, who all nodded, and so Iason nodded at Raoul.

"What first?" Raoul asked, not answering Yui's question just yet.

"Dinner," Heiku said.

"Definitely dinner," Xian agreed.

"Then the mall?" Raoul ventured to say.

"Yes," Iason answered.

Raoul took Yui's bags and started to carry them inside the house. Heiku took Ima's, while Iason and Xian let their love interests (yes, love interests!) carry their own bags.

"What's going on?" Yui asked frantically.

Raoul turned around from just stepping inside the door of the house, and said, quite simply, "We're taking you, all of you, out to eat. Then we will go to the mall to buy you bathing suits."

"What?"


	17. Face

**AN**: Hello, ya'll! Only danib819 has been reviewing. Just wanted to remind you that reviews mean more to me than gold. (No, really. Jewelry is not my thing.)So review!

**Danib819:** I'm sorry I made you wait, but if I did it earlier it would throw off my schedule! XD The next two chapters are a tease because evidently you want to see Iason get magic… but not yet. Next week! Hope you still enjoy these chapters, though!

Riki's POV

Face

Riki hated being treated like a charity project. He needed no one's sympathy. He wiped his own ass, and there was nothing that his mongrel pride needed that he couldn't get on his own.

So when the Blondies decided to treat them so extravagantly, he repeatedly refused, saying, "I didn't even want to come here all weekend, but now you want to treat us like your cuddly pets!"

"The camera can hear you, Riki," Sarius warned.

"I don't give a fuck who hears me! I ain't goin'!"

"Well, I don't really give a fuck if you go or not, mongrel," Raoul shot back. "All I need is Yui." With that said, Raoul took Yui's things inside the house.

Riki stood there with his mouth open, then he glanced at Yui, who was blushing furiously about the neck, which is, oddly enough, where all his blood went. Looking at Yui only made Riki angrier, for some reason. He shoved his hands stubbornly into his pockets, daring anyone to try and change his mind.

Of course, someone was in the mind to do so.

Iason Mink walked up to him, arms folded and head cocked to the side. Soon, Guy was by Riki as well, and Riki stood as a wall between the two of them.

Iason spoke first: "I do not pity you."

"You are such a fucking liar. You think that we are a bunch of poor mongrels who need your help."

"Quite the contrary. Though I do think you are poor and a tad uncivilized-" Riki glared at Iason. "-that doesn't necessarily add up to pity. You, all of you, are guests of our home, and we like you. We want you to have a good time, that is all."

"We can have a good time without going out," reasoned Riki.

"But all the while you will be thinking about the pool you won't enter because you haven't brought your swimsuits."

"Not like we have swimsuits to wear," muttered Ru, who immediately covered his mouth. He took a quick look at Riki. Riki was shooting knives of anger with his eyes.

Iason raised his eyebrows. "Now I pity you."

"We don't need them! Not like we have pools in Ceres!"

"When is the last time you've been in a pool?"

Riki mumbled something.

"Excuse me?" Iason asked.

"Don't… 'member…"

"What?"

"He says he doesn't remember," Guy said softly. Clutching his fists, he added, "And it don't matter!"

"Fine. But perhaps you would like to try some Aristian cuisine?"

"Aristian? There's a restaurant like that here?" Ima said excitedly. When Iason nodded, she squealed along with the rest of her girlfriends. "Ooo, what about Alphazenian?"

"Yes."

"Xeronese?"

"Of course."

"Let's go to the Xeron one! I heard their meat is spec-tacular!"

Iason smiled. "The meat is wonderful, if a bit tough for my tastes." He eyed Guy and Riki, who still weren't altogether with the idea. "Well, those of you who want to go, we shall direct you. Those of you who don't want to join, you are welcome to stay at our house. Alone."

"I won't be alone. I'll be with _Guy_," Riki said deliberately, and he had the satisfaction of seeing Iason's calm, cool, collected eyes narrow in what may have been irritation. They narrowed further when Norris, Luke, and Sid joined Riki and Guy inside the house.

Riki was proud of himself. He didn't back down.

It wasn't long before the rest of them left, the Blondies and Elites and their friends. The five of them made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and ate them. Riki was happy to have it, but he saw unhappiness slowly dawn on Norris's face.

"Why didn't you go, Norris? I know you want to eat otherworld food more than Ima," Riki said. "You know I don't judge nobody but myself."

"Yea, but, I don't know… I just felt like you would judge me, like, on accident or something. I didn't want you and Guy here by yourselves."

"Nah, you shouldn't have worried about us. We're cool."

"Yea. But Riki, why didn't you want to go? They're just doing it because they like us. And we all know Iason likes you a lot."

"Not as much as Raoul likes Yui," Sid said quietly, as he was a quiet person.

"Man, all Iason and Raoul thinks of us is that we are some sort of cuddly pets!" Riki reiterated. "We're just some experiment to them."

"You know that is not true, Riki," Norris said. "And Sarius said we have chemistry when we're together. He says there is something in the air that seems right, and we all know that when he talks about something in the air, he's super serious."

Riki rubbed his face, getting some jelly that was on his hand onto his face. Guy leaned over to lick it off, and Riki's tails wagged. He turned to Guy and began to kiss him.

"Aw, come on, guys!"

The lovers separated.

Riki taunted, "You know you like it."

Norris blushed, looking away.

"But I guess you're right… I mean… It wasn't an… _unreasonable_ _request_, you know?" Riki nodded to himself, then shook his head, burying it in his arms. "Now, I'm fucking thinking that we should have taken him up on his offer in the first fucking place! What the hell was wrong with me?"

"You let your pride butt in when it wasn't needed," Luke answered suavely.

"Oh, shut up."

"Well," Guy said, "no need in beating yourself over it now. Let's play some of these games, instead."

It was nice and dark when 'now' was in the past, and the rest of the group came back home, laughing and acting as if they had a really good time (which they did, poor Riki). They came in carrying bags of clothes, shoes, and various other things that the mongrels were amused by.

They also came home with some wonderful-smelling leftovers.

"Ohmigod, Riki! The food was amazing!" Ima hurried over to the quintuple of boys and gave each of them their own box of leftovers. When they opened the boxes, they were surprised to find that they didn't hold leftovers, but full-blown meals, including dessert. Ima wasn't even finished then- she passed out glass bottles.

"These are," she announced, spreading her hands extravagantly over the bottles, "Xeronese sodas. The best thing since acid!"

"Are you serious?" Guy muttered. "We don't need this."

"Too bad. We got ya'll clothes and shoes, too."

"What the hell? We didn't ask for that shit."

"Blame Raoul. He saw how raggedy Yui's shoes were and insisted that he buy him new ones. And then Yui said, 'I don't want anything that my friends aren't getting'. And Raoul was like, 'Well, I'll buy them shoes as well, then'." Ima shrugged. "He was going to do it whether we liked it or not, so we might as well choose the shoes we want."

"Where the clothes come from?" Riki asked, watching Norris wolf down the Xeronese food. Riki, now placated, took a small bite of red meat.

Heaven.

Before he knew it, he was shoveling the food in his mouth as well.

"Well, you damn beast, Iason thought I would look cute in one of the dresses, and I told him I only had two and he said, 'A girl should have more dresses', and that's how it all started. Oh! Look at this!"

Ima searched in the bags for something, bending over on the floor for some of the stuff was on the floor. "Found it. Here!"

Riki looked at it. It was a rainbow shaped metal thing. It looked like a spring with a billion more coils.

"What is it?"

"They call it a Slinky."

"Slinky."

"Yep." Ima moved her hands, and the Slinky's coils moved to one side, then the other, then the other.

"Let me try it." Riki took it, and began to play with it.

"And this!"

"What's that?" Riki asked again, pointing to a multi-colored cube.

"A Rubik's cube! You're supposed to put all the colors on one side."

"That's impossible!"

"Nico did it. Twice."

"_Nico_?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Nico inquired indignantly.

"Hey, don't forget about the bet, Riki!" Toma called out, and everyone went silent.

Riki, for one, forgot all about the bet. (And they all also forgot about what happened at the school earlier, but they will be reminded soon)

Riki was quiet while he ate the rest of his food and they put up the stuff. Then they were told where to sleep, which meant for some, since there was so many of them, that they had to sleep on the floor. But the carpet was extremely soft and plushy, so it wouldn't be that much of an uncomfortable sleep. They did rock-paper-scissors to choose who would get the two extra beds, and Riki and Guy ended up with a bed, as did the Talk Trio. It was quietly decided that all the girls will gang up on Heiku's bed with Yousi, even if he was a boy. And Raoul made it plain that Yui was to sleep with him, whether he wanted to or not, and Juthian with Xian. Omaki invited Megala to his bed, and the shy Blondie timidly accepted. Nico and Aether could fit, too, so they were invited as well. Sid would sleep on the floor, while Luke and Norris squeezes in with the Talk Trio. Daryl and Katze called the large sofa in the living room.

After all this was decided, Riki announced, "Alright. So where is _Face_?" He stood in the middle of the living room, searching. "Where's your viewer?"

As soon as he said that last word, a viewer separated itself from the wall as if beckoned. It floated there just in front of the wall, awaiting its next order.

"Cool," Riki breathed.

"That's not even half of it," Omaki said excitedly, and called out, "Viewer! _Face_ menu!"

Immediately, the screen changed to a darkly lit room with a flickering light. Every few moments a mask of a face would appear, bloody around the edges of where the eyes, mouth, and nose should be. There were shrill screams, cut off the moment they sounded.

"Ready to watch this all by yourself, Riki?" Toma taunted.

Xian suddenly stood between Riki and Toma, holding his hands up. "Let's rethink this, guys."

Everyone looked at him.

"I mean… There's this monster in here that's been here for a long time. Now, it's looking at _Face_ as if it just got a birthday present."

"Wait a minute. What the fuck you mean monster?" Ru asked, hiding behind Raoul, who shrugged him off. "Why can't we see it? Can we touch it?"

Xian pointed his finger and began poking it near the viewer. "It's right here. Right. Here. I think I can see it because of my eyes…"

"What-What does it look like?"

"You don't want to know."

Riki intervened, "But you said you always been able to see shit like that. What makes it so different this time?"

"Before, the monsters and ghosts and stuff just walked around- they didn't haunt people like they're doing now. And they look more... Like… They look more real! We really should just sit around and play some games or something."

"Look," Riki told Xian, poking him in the chest, "I'm not scared."

"I was afraid you'll say that."

"So I'm watchin' it, by myself, right now. So, get out."

Everyone left, Guy and Iason quite slowly, one may add. Xian took one last remorseful look at the mongrel and then went away as well.

Riki sat on the sofa, shoving Katze and Daryl's things away. When he was nice and comfortable, the vague image of Xian's monster pushed to the back of his mind, he yelled out, "Play!" and the movie started.

Essentially, the movie was about a killer-monster who stole faces. In the first scenes, there were all-out screamers whose faces were supposedly being ripped off. All Riki could see were the many shapes of faces decorating a wall. But he could see the shadow of the half-man, half-beast, and the flailing arms of the victim.

Already his heart pounded. He's seen this movie before, but, honestly, and he would only say this to himself and perhaps Guy, he saw it behind nearly shut eyes. He didn't jump at the pop-ups, but they made him feel weak. And the screams! One would think that after the first few, Riki would get used to it, but each one was so well-timed, so well thought out, that they scared him nearly to death each time.

At one point, one girl had escaped the killer, and, as rule number one-thousand-one says (or so Sarius says), the first escapee never survives. So Riki knew she was going to die. He thought it was when she tripped (rule number ninety seven: everyone trips once; or rule number eight-hundred-eleven: the sole tripped never survives). Then he thought it was when she nearly set off a bear trap the killer had left around (she had stepped on a branch that triggered the trap). Lastly, he thought for sure she was a goner when she found the beheaded policemen (rule number three: policemen aren't shit!). But no, it was when she found out she had gone in a complete circle, and landed right in the killer's yard, and he came down upon her with an axe in her spine, her shrieking in terror and pain, the axe so realistically digging into the muscles and bones in her back. Then, while she was still alive, he put his claws underneath her chin and pulled her face off. The screams went up a notch, and the girl, once a pretty young thing, looked hideous with eyes rolling around crazily in bloody, seeping sockets. The muscles of her face was freely visible, but she was slowly dying, and, long after Riki had closed his eyes, she finally died.

When he opened them, he saw the monster.

It looked almost feminine, with an aquiline face, and that made it all the scarier. Its eyes were jet-black, teeth the same color and sharp. It was panther-like in form, but with feathers, perhaps a dragon-looking thing, but much less majestic, and not so big a head. Riki wasn't sure how to describe it, except that it scared the shit out of him.

Riki could no longer look at the movie; he could no longer _breathe_. It was just him and the monster. He has faced bullets and certain death before, but monsters? No, not monsters. How were you supposed to kill some panther-dragon-bird thing?

(Riki was soon going to find out.)

But first he sat there, staring, getting more scared by the second. The monster grinned, rearing up on its hind legs like some sort of frog and launched itself silently towards him.

Riki quickly dodged out of the way, and the monster did a quick to-the-left to nip one of his tails. And what is meant by nip is that it ate the tip of the tail. A sharp pain went up Riki's spine, but he turned around to face the monster again, which had jumped again. Riki turned and ran to the other side of the room, his mind in a panic. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, just listening out for the monster that was following him. Because of his inattentiveness to everything else, he tripped over a table (this was a rule ninety-seven, not eight-hundred-eleven).

The monster landed on his back and began to chew on his shoulder, and this time he yelled. Not all of it was pain, mostly it was pure terror.

As the others ran in to see him, he suddenly remembered that he could do magic.

With a puff of black smoke leaving his mouth, he bucked the monster off of them. Heedless of his audience, he materialized a bat and whacked off the monster's head.

And that was that.

Riki, breathing hard, looked at his friends and the Blondies. There were feathers all over the place, _Face_ was still playing in the background, and Riki's shoulder was simultaneously healing and bleeding profusely onto the carpet.

"Is that the monster you saw?" Juthian asked Xian.

Xian, eyes wide, slowly nodded his head.

"Why didn't you tell us he was being attacked?"

Xian jumped. "Because I thought Riki was going to kill it! But he kept running away!"

"Hey, shut your mouths!" Riki ordered, swinging his bat towards the two would-be lovers. "It's dead. I'm good. Nothing to it."

"It's bleeding on our carpet," Iason said emotionlessly.

Riki looked down. Indeed, the creature's guts and ropes of bloody muscles littered the carpet. It was very gross.

Guy ran to him, hugging him. "You alright?"

"I'm cool."

"Good. Let's get the fuck outta here."

"Wait!" Xian cried frantically. "Where are you going?"

"Going home! We don't need this shit!"

"I'm sorry, Xian," Juthian said sadly, "But this place isn't safe."

"You damn right it isn't safe!" Xian screamed, clutching his hair. "Those monsters are everywhere!"

"Everywhere?"

"_Everywhere._"

"But… They're all invisible, right?"

Xian turned to Riki. "Where did that monster appear, like, when you first saw it- Don't point! Just say it."

"Right next to the viewer." Riki struggled not to point. "It was just… crouching there."

"I thought so…" Xian muttered. "There's black holes… There's these black holes all over the place, all different sizes, and I'm guessing that the monsters, in whatever dimension they are in, can get in our dimension through these black holes. It's like a weakness in our… in our… in our... THE GRID!"

The sudden exclamation made Riki back up, as with everybody else. Then there was another. It was Megala.

"The Grid!" He looked as if he was about to faint, but he held onto the wall, breathing hard. "You're right, Xian, the Grid."

"Oh, shit… Oh, shit, oh, shit…" Xian answered.

"What the fuck is going on?" Riki roared.

Xian grabbed him by the shoulders. "You know the Grid thing that Megala and them passed over and they got lost and they had to fight those monsters?"

"Yea… Sort of…"

"Well, the Grid stopped those monsters from coming in! And I think… I think the Grid broke earlier today!"

Riki saw the realization dawn on the others' faces.

"But wouldn't all the monsters come in at once instead of only in… black holes?" Ru asked, hanging onto Sarius.

"That's not how the Grid works," Megala answered softly. "It's not just some dome overhead blocking everything. The planes of Amoi and the planes of everything outside Amoi had been interwoven, whereas that which comes from the forest can never enter Amoi. But those from Amoi can cross the Grid into the forest or another part of Amoi."

"I don't get it…" Riki said. The others nodded in agreement.

Megala looked discouraged.

Xian jumped in: "You know how we have the trees all over the place? Well, they've always been there, as have the monsters."

"And?" were the impatient answers to this.

"Wait, let me think! It's the Grid. The Grid made it seem as if they weren't there. What would happen is… What happened was that someone took the forest bits out and made it into 'everything outside Amoi', as Meg was saying. With _magic_, someone made so that we can cross the forests in seconds… Oh, I'm not making sense!"

"I think I get it…" Juthian whispered. "What you're saying is, there are two territories: the forest and the city. The forest is within the city, but invisible. When we used to go across the city, we were also crossing the forests-"

"Very fast," Xian added.

"With magic," was Meg's supplement.

"Right. And the thing with the monsters now is that they are from the forest, but they are still stuck behind pieces of the Grid that are still up. The black holes are cracks in the Grid."

"Yes! That makes perfect sense!" Xian exclaimed; Meg nodded.

"But why have the forests all made it through the Grid already?" Gwen asked curiously.

"Because the part of the Grid that was hiding the forests- just the forests- has been completely wiped out," answered Xian.

"There's different parts to the Grid?"

"Yea. Two parts are completely gone- the one that hides the forests, and the one that hides us from them."

Riki shuddered. "So they are looking at us like pieces of meat."

Xian nodded, eyes wide and scared.

"What are we supposed to do, now?" Omaki asked.

"Well!" Nico said cheerfully, smiling, and he earned himself some crazy looks for this. "It looks like we will be doing the magic thing early after all!"


	18. More Magic!

Raoul's POV

More Magic!

Earlier that day, Raoul was one of the ones awkwardly avoiding Amon Qentu's gaze as the huge wolf asked who would be next for Megala to suck the magic out of. He didn't want to go through the pain, and it didn't seem all that important, even though he did sign the paper. Now, what with the bird creature dead in his home, he wanted to get magic as soon as possible. He was first in line for the magic-sucking business.

It was to be done in the second floor common room. No one knew what to do with the dead monster, none of them brave enough to pick it up. They tried calling the police, but communications were still jammed.

Raoul decided to kneel instead of bend over quite a bit for Megala, who pressed his lips to his forehead and whispered, "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

He wasn't.

First, a terribly tight feeling grew in his chest. But it got no better. It grew to such an intensity that Raoul let out a loud gasp. For some reason, that made it worse, sharp needles spread from the center point, stabbing every organ, bone, muscle, ligament, tendon, capillary, artery, and everything in between. The needles left a trail of fire and broken glass, and still continued pricking everything in their paths.

He didn't want to do it anymore. It hurt too much. The pain was unimaginably unbearable. He was close to pissing himself. He opened his mouth to tell Megala to stop.

And then he heard it.

Plain as day.

"You can do it, Raoul."

It was Yui's voice. He couldn't see him because his eyes were closed. Even if they were open, they would be blurry with tears.

He began to think of Yui's sublimely round face, the bigness of his wonderful brown eyes, the length and silkiness of his hair, his small, sylphlike body, the creaminess of the skin covering that svelte body. Warmth was blossoming in _his_ body. It felt as if he had finished several masterpieces.

His beautiful Yui.

Before he knew it, the people around him were shaking him, and he opened his eyes. Instead of being next to Megala's stomach like before, he, kneeling, was face-to-face. He had grown.

He stood up.

"How's the weather up there?" Omaki remarked.

"What the hell, Raoul? What did you do?" Xian demanded.

Raoul looked around for Yui, but realized that the little guy was right next to his elbow, head grazing the joint. "What do you…" His voice had gotten deeper. "What do you mean?"

"You stopped screaming!"

"You stopped looking like you were in pain, as well," Iason remarked.

"As soon as Yui said something," Toma goaded.

Raoul was looking at Yui. "When I started thinking of Yui, the pain wasn't so bad anymore. Out of all the people I've met… I've never encountered one for whom I felt so strongly as I do Yui."

There were some more taunts and jeering from the Talk Trio, but some of the others were quiet. While Yui's face went completely red, they stared at Raoul. (They had good reasons to.)

Raoul finally realized that his feelings for Yui may be a tad bit unorthodox for a Blondie. But he also realized that it felt so good that he didn't quite _care_ that it was. How insane was that?

"So… How do you feel?" Yui asked softly.

"I feel great," Raoul whispered back, his voice normal. He had shrunk back as well, as if his magic was gone out of him. He never got to see his magical outfit.

"I-I mean about… about your magic. What do you feel?" Yui looked him up and down. "You tore out of your clothes."

Raoul looked at his ripped apart clothes. He excused himself to change in his room. With his very first step, the whole house shook.

Raoul looked down at his feet, then took another step. _THOMP_ went the house, rattling in its frame. Experimentally, Raoul stomped, and an audible crack sounded, and his foot sank into the carpet.

"What did you do that for, Raoul?" Iason said, irritated, but not looking a little awed at the fact that all Raoul had to do was press down his foot, and he broke the floor.

"I must have…" Raoul started.

"Super strength!" cried Yui with barely contained excitement.

Raoul grinned.

"Great. That's just what Mr. Grumpy needs," Nico said sarcastically. He looked at Aether and said, "Do you think he's stronger than you?"

"Definitely."

"Hmph. Raoul? Do you have a weapon?"

"Wait until I have changed," Raoul barked. He left the room and coincidentally looked downstairs. He saw a small, dark-haired child. He pretended he didn't see it, got changed in his room (he picked out a nightshirt and some elastic pajama bottoms), and came back to the common room without looking down again. He stood there staring at his newfound and old friends and then said, "There's something downstairs."

Almost on cue, there was a small, "Help me."

"It is a little kid," Raoul explained further.

"Help me."

"What does it look like?" Megala asked, frowning and biting his thumb.

"What do you mean 'what does it look like'? It looks like a little kid."

"Its skin. What does that look like?"

"Help me," said the child from downstairs.

"I didn't take that long of a look… Very pale."

"With black eyes and black hair?"

"Yes."

"That's not a child."

Raoul scrunched up his nose indignantly, face going extremely red. "I know what I saw."

Yui placed a hand on his arm, and the color drained from his face.

"Help me."

"Woo, scary!" Toma said aloud. (It was what everyone was thinking. Raoul looked ready to explode in a matter of seconds)

"If it is not a child, then what is it?"

Megala sighed. "It's a monster the people of Dana Bahn called the bait-and-hook."

"Dana Bahn? Isn't that an imaginary place that Amoians supposedly originated from?" Yui asked.

"Except that it is real. They live on the other side of the forest- well, they are probably close now, but I don't know where… I lived with them for a long time."

"But-" Mimea interrupted, then paused, then started again, "Wouldn't the spaceships be able to see Dana Bahn?"

"There is a Grid over Dana Bahn that makes them invisible."

"Oh… So… What are we going to do about the monster downstairs?"

"Help me."

"That is totally creepy," Norris admitted. He yelled, "We're not going to fall for it!"

"HEEEEEEEELP MEEEEE!" screeched the child. "HEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEE!"

"Now, I just want it dead so it can shut up," Omaki said wryly. "And I'm next!"

Katze abruptly went out the door, and the next things Raoul heard were several gunshots and the monster-child thing screaming in agony. There were thumps and things crashing downstairs as the monster moved around. Raoul could hear Katze's footsteps as he went further downstairs to pursue the monster, more gunshots, one last squeal that died out.

A little while later, Katze came back inside the room. On his hip was a gun in its holster.

"Is that your weapon?" Omaki asked.

"Yep."

"My magic time!" Omaki said excitedly.

"Wait, I want to see Raoul's weapon." Nico excitedly stood next to Raoul, waiting.

Raoul looked down at his hands, trying to imagine a weapon there. His face was getting red again.

"Uh, don't worry about it!" Nico said quickly.

"You don't have a weapon, Raoul," Xian said. "I can see it. Everyone else has weapons except for you and Yui. And those that don't have magic, of course."

"I see," Raoul answered wanly. He wanted a weapon, but he opted instead to sit down on a sofa, sinking deeply, and putting his arm around Yui as he sat down next to him. The Talk Trio immediately began whispering. They reminded Raoul of chickens, but he decided to ignore them. At the moment, it was better to be hyperaware of the fact that Yui was wearing a sleeveless shirt and that he smelled like vanilla.

So, Omaki went next. Though he yelled almost nonstop, he never quit. Raoul was almost proud to call him a friend.

Omaki was lying on the floor, recovering, then he opened his blue eyes. The Blondie jumped up straight from the floor. "How do I look?"

There was a silence.

"You look about the same," Guy said. "You don't even have a spiffy outfit like Xian and Raoul."

"I had an outfit?" Raoul inquired.

"Yea, but you changed back as soon as you started talking."

Seemingly disappointed, Omaki examined himself as they spoke. Then he waved his hands- two enormous folding fans, about five feet across, appeared in his palms. They took up plenty of room, so he had to fold them so that they were nothing but very thin accordion-shaped sticks. Then he flipped them out again, creating a wind that blew back the hair of his friends.

"Yes! I have a weapon, and they're ten times better than your nunchuks, Xian!"

"They look slow. I can probably hit you five times before you can hit me once."

Omaki pouted, knowing that he was probably right. He reassessed himself.

"I want a special power," he said.

"Well, you're fuzzy."

"What in the hell are you talking about, Xian?"

Xian scratched his head, blushing against the weird looks he was receiving. "I mean… I can see certain powers in you, if you have magic. Like, I can see in Raoul his strength. There's a lot of magic in his muscles _everywhere_. In Ima, I see this long… pole with a spikey ball at the end on her back."

"It's called a mace," Ima informed him.

"Oh, a mace… And I don't know what the hell is going around with Riki."

"Yo, let's change the subject," Riki said quickly.

Silence met his demand, and Xian continued, "Well, what do all of you think fuzziness have to do with… a magic power?"

"Describe the fuzziness more," Yousi asked from his spot on the arm of a chair, whereas Heiku took the seat and Ima took the other arm. She was leaning back and had one arm around Heiku's shoulders. Yousi didn't look to happy about this.

But Raoul didn't notice. He didn't really notice things like that. All he really noticed was that Omaki had an aura. The folding fans made him look elegant and powerful, all at the same time. If Omaki would pose just so, the urge to paint would spring to Raoul's head like a trap. But Omaki did no such pose, and so the urge never came that day.

"It's like-" Xian said 'like' a lot when he was explaining something difficult, Raoul at least knew that. "-there are a bunch of different… components to his face, but they are all different sizes, so it is like a blur. Like, they are all trying to come out. It's like that for the rest of his body."

"And the components?" was another question from Yousi. "What do they look like?"

"Like… Different hair colors… Eye shapes… Chest sizes… Things like that."

Yousi took his chin in hand, a familiar gesture to Raoul for when the other Blondie was thinking. He drew it once. It was a very dramatic rendition of the pose, and Yousi loved it.

"Maybe… Maybe he can change his components?" Yousi offered. "Try to change your hair color."

Omaki looked dubiously at Yousi, and Yousi shrugged.

"What do you have to lose?"

Omaki shrugged as well, and closed his eyes.

Much to the astonishment of the rest of the room, his hair _did_ change. It was slowly darkening by the second to a deep, shining black. Soon, he opened his eyes and eyed his hair.

"Oh, my god!" he nearly shouted. "Ok… I'mma try something else."

"I can see your magic running out," Xian warned.

"Yea, yea." Omaki closed his eyes again, and this time several things changed on him at once. Everything about him became shorter, arms, legs, spine, hair, until he was about five-feet-six and proportionally tuned. His hair was short about the ears, his muscles became thinner- it was an odd thing to look at and Raoul feared he might vomit, if he wasn't so amused by Omaki's choice of change.

He was turning into Riki.

He even grew a tail and some wolf ears, and Raoul could see Omaki's human ears shrink into nothingness. His clothes shrunk, too, but he didn't become naked. Instead, his clothes changed to what Riki had on: a pair of torn jeans and a black T-shirt.

Omaki opened his eyes, and grinned. "I guess I did it," he said in Riki's voice.

"Why did you change into me?" Riki complained. "There's like fifty other people here and you pick me!"

"Because I knew you would have just… just that… that…" Omaki wavered on his feet, immediately changing back to his Blondie form. He saw himself regular and said, "I guess I ran out of magic. That sucks! I don't have very high stamina for my ability. I wonder how long Raoul can go around punching people."

"For a pretty long time, from the way I see it," Xian said.

"Oh, whatever. Who's next?"

The ones left were Heiku, Yousi, and Iason. None of them were quick to jump for the opportunity of magic, and, after awhile, it seemed like they weren't going to take the chance after all.

Then Yousi stood up and went to Megala. His face was pale and he had the look of a rabbit in the path of a flying hawk, but he continued his stand there, resolute. When Megala put his lips on his forehead, he pushed the other small Blondie away, breathing hard.

"I'm not very good with pain."

"It'll be okay," Megala said soothingly. "It'll hurt, a lot, but you can handle it. Many others have."

"Thanks, Meg."

Megala nodded slowly, blushing. "I will start now."

"Okay," Yousi answered, voice shaking.

"Do you want to do it by mouth? It'll make it go much faster."

"How much faster are we talking about?"

"About seven to ten times faster."

"What?" Omaki screamed. "Why didn't you give me that option? I almost vomited like Xian did!"

"I… I-I thought that you wouldn't want me to take your first kiss…" Megala stuttered. "I'm sorry!"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Meg. I was just joking around." (He really wasn't)

Megala looked at Raoul as if expecting the same reaction.

"I want my first kiss," Raoul answered the gaze.

"Well, I want a kiss," Yousi said.

Megala blushed.

"It's not like I want to kiss… Nevermind, that would have come out wrong," Yousi cut himself off. "Let's start."

And so Megala went up close to Yousi, bringing his head up so that their lips were angled for a straight path to each other. (The room had gotten exceedingly quiet) They brought their lips together. At first it seemed like they were simply kissing, but a glow was coming from Yousi's stomach. It was very fast, but Yousi's eyebrows still screwed harshly together and he made a choked sound at the pain. Still, by the time he took Megala's shoulders in hand with a severe grip, it was over.

Omaki whistled.

Raoul's imagination sprung into action. Yousi was definitely paintable. His clothes were second-skin tight, light-blue, stretching from the middle of his neck to the tips of his toes and fingers. But that wasn't the main thing. What was so awesome and picturesque of Yousi's image was the fact that his hair was spreading in all directions. He was trying to put it down with his hands but to no avail.

One of his eyebrows lifted, and he lifted his head to the overhead lamp. Staring at it, the light went brighter, then darker, then brighter again.

"I can control electricity!" he announced with much vigor, jumping up. When he did that, the suit peeled back and opened up to reveal two wings, under each of which was an engine. A glow came from these engines, and he levitated in the air. Two more engines on the back of his ankles helped with this task.

"Awesome!"

"Cool!"

"That's fucking great!"

"Amazing."

"You're such a showoff, Yousi."

Yousi grinned, immediately looking at Heiku, whose mouth had dropped open in awe.

"You look great, Yousi. I think you have the best… power so far."

Yousi grinned wider, then his face went lax, and he fell to the floor, his clothes changing back.

"We're definitely going to have to work on that stamina!" Nico said.

"How come we are losing magic so quickly? When you first got magic, it lasted so much longer!"

"Probably… The situation… Maybe adrenaline or something. Plus, we weren't flying and everything. We just had weapons and stuff."

"Aether doesn't have a weapon."

"He has swords."

As a demonstration, Aether pulled out two thick swords from his sleeves, and then put them away.

"Ah," Yousi said. "Heiku, you're next."

Heiku, suddenly on the spot, gave Yousi a glare. He received a pat from Ima.

"Go on 'head, handsome," she told him.

So, Heiku went on 'head.

"Kiss?" Megala asked.

"Yes. That sounds great."

The kiss lasted half a minute, and they were done.

Heiku had on a white sleeveless bodysuit, showing off his muscular arms. Tight boots encased his feet and ankles.

Immediately, Heiku searched for a weapon and, just as quickly, twin throwing knives appeared in his hands. The handles were hollow and full of some sluggish golden liquid. He shook the end curiously.

"I wonder what this does."

"The knife is hollow," Xian said.

"You can see that?"

"Yes, I can."

Heiku turned the knife and a drop of the golden liquid landed on the carpet.

Iason frowned.

"Sorry, Iason."

The next spatter went to Heiku's wrist. He sniffed it, then gave it a lick. His eyes widened.

"It tastes great."

"What is it?" Iason asked.

"I don't know."

"RRRRRAAAAAAAA!"

"Holy shit!" cried Riki.

The group stood (or sat) around, looking at the entryway leading to the stairs. Some looked at Katze, and Katze was about to go down, gun ready, when the whole house shook, and it continued shaking.

"Hey," Ima called out as if unfazed. "The stuff turned green!"

Heiku looked down. The liquid was no longer gold. It was a murky green, moving around freely. As soon as Heiku overturned the knife to taste this, the liquid turned gold again.

"Maybe the green stuff is poison," Riki suggested.

"That's brilliant, Riki!" Yousi praised. "I think everyone's gift is pertinent to their interests or personality. It would make complete sense if Heiku's abilities encompassed elixirs that he can change at will."

"Too many big words, but I get what you're saying."

"Try one of the poison darts on the monster!" Gwen said excitedly; all the girls goaded him on. All faces turned towards him just as the monster downstairs clamored in the kitchen, roaring and making all sorts of noises. The kitchen was directly under them and they could hear the monster quite clearly.

Raoul looked down at Yui, and Yui looked up at him, eyes wide with worry.

Raoul made up his mind: "If you want, I will accompany you downstairs." He rose from his seat. "I'll use my magic at the last minute if it is needed."

"Thank you, Raoul. I think I feel better about this."

"I'm going, too!" Xian cried.

"Ok."

No one else volunteered. And so Heiku, Xian, and Raoul set out downstairs.

"Good luck, guys," Juthian said. When they left, Raoul could hear him say, "Shouldn't we go down there with them?"

"Let's see how good they are. Katze, you should go watch their backs."

"Alright."

And so Katze came up behind them, saying, "I'm not going to help."

"We don't need it," Raoul said confidently.

(Good news here: They didn't!)


	19. INTENSE!

AN: Iason gets his magic. Which I'm sure that some of you other than danib819 were looking forward to. Please review. As much as I don't want to let some of you who have reviewed down, I can't continue without enough reviews. I mean, I feel as if no one is willing to push me up, you know? No? Okay…

**Danib819**: I'm glad you enjoyed the monster and everyone getting their magic! I really did think a lot about them. And, of course I left Iason for last! Hehe… Sorry you don't like Guy, but things are going to progress really fast from here on out. I can't tell you exactly how many chapters it will take for Iason to get with Riki, but I can assure you that Riki is going to have some tough sexual tension around him. C:

Speaking of sexual tension! Because of the nature of the following chapters, I will be putting a M/R/Mature/whatever FF calls it- rating on this story. So catch you on the flip side! And please review!

INTENSE!

Xian wasn't exactly the adventurous sort, but going down the dimly lit stairs -he could see perfectly fine though and could only imagine what regular seers like Raoul and Heiku were feeling- filled him with anticipation. He wondered what sort of monster awaited them- alive- at the bottom of the stairs.

What he saw filled him with a new sense of awe, the scary sort. He immediately turned around, but Katze was there, looking at him, the one visible eye that wasn't hidden by locks of hair narrowed, as if shaming him for backing out. The look made him turn around and face his fears.

A long snakelike body was strewn about the stairs, shiny and black. And quite dead, much to Xian's relief. They stepped over this monster and walked towards the sound of the new monster that was in the kitchen. The snake carcass reached up to the entranced of the kitchen so that Xian and the rest could see its head. From a strong cord attached to its angular head, there hung a mangled human body the size of a child. It appeared to have been morphing into some other body. At least, when Xian was looking through the walls that was what it seemed like. Katze had shot the monster through this bait-thing.

Xian wondered if Katze felt like he had been shooting a real child.

Xian shook that grim thought from his head. They were at the entryway to the kitchen. Huddled over each other in a row on one side of the arch, they turned together to see what awaited them.

Xian's knees went all watery.

"What're my knives going to do against that thing?" Heiku whispered fiercely.

"Nothing," Xian answered honestly.

"Maybe I can kill it…" Raoul said, not very confidently. "If that saw doesn't slice me in half first."

Katze suggested, "Maybe we should go back upstairs and leave this to people who know more about what they are doing."

"Fantastic idea."

This conversation wasn't made because there were scaredy-cats; no, the fear was legitimate for the monster that stood in the kitchen was a beast taller and more muscular than Raoul, with blue fur covering everywhere. It stood on its two hind legs with ease while devouring some leftover food that was on the countertop. It had large, sharp, wide-spaced teeth that the food slipped through. Still in its left hand was a circular saw, spinning very quickly on its own.

"Back up, Katze," ordered Raoul. Katze was the topmost person and so had to move in order for the others to ease away. Xian could see him move away, though he was facing the opposite direction. Sometimes, he thought his power was so cool.

And that wasn't where it ended either; he had nunchaku, too. Whoever picked out their powers was a genius, because Xian could handle the nunchaku like nothing else. But Xian didn't think that his weapon would do much damage against a monster like that in the kitchen, what with his horns and long, strong-looking tail.

He was then so focused on the monster that he didn't pay attention to where his feet were going (just because he could see in all directions doesn't necessarily mean he was looking in all directions). And so he tripped on the angler snake and fell down with a small yell.

But that small yell was enough to get the attention of the thing that they really didn't want attention from.

"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAA!"

Heiku and Raoul, who were the last ones to back away from the arch, now scrambled out of the way just as the monster ran around the corner, swinging the circular saw. It growled low in its throat and swung at Heiku, catching him on the shoulder. Heiku let out an agonized yell.

He ran quickly to where the others were- the other side of the hallway leading to kitchen, that is, the living room, the far side of the living room.

"Why didn't you go upstairs?" Heiku demanded, looking at his healed shoulder.

"Why didn't you?" Roaul snapped.

"Because," Katze interrupted, "We don't want to be single file for that monster to cut us one-by-"

"RRRRR…"

The house wiggled with each of its steps.

"When it finds us, Heiku, let's see what those knives of yours can do," Katze said.

"What… What do I do? Just throw them?"

"Whatever comes naturally."

"Alright… Alright, alright," Heiku said nervously.

Just as the monster rounded the corner, Heiku threw a knife.

It missed. The monster turned towards the sound where the knife hit the wall.

"Throw another one, throw another one!" Xian said.

With shaking fingers, Heiku threw another one, and this one landed in the beast's eye. Its face automatically began to melt, and the monster screeched in pain, hands going to its face and spreading the poison to other parts of his face, making all of it melt, and there were more screams from the beast. It fell to its knees, then toppled over.

"It's getting into its brain," Xian explained.

The monster began to twitch, jerking every which way. Then it stopped moving. The circular saw, as well, stopped spinning.

The four boys stood there a moment longer.

Heiku said, "Good thing the last knife hit. I don't have the strength to make another one."

"We definitely have to work on ya'll stamina," Katze replied, patting Heiku on the back.

Xian looked at the black hole as they spoke. It was nothing really but black smoke, but it looked like a dark life-sucking contraption. But black hole was easier to say.

"There's another one coming," Xian announced, shaking Katze's shoulder. "It's crawling in through the hole."

Raoul suddenly separated from the group.

"Where is the entrance?" he demanded, and Xian told him exactly, telling him when he was cold or hot, without even moving from his spot cowering near the wall. It wasn't like his nunchaku would do anything (Actually, they could do a lot, but Xian _was_ acting like a scaredy-cat now).

The beast's head came through the hole with difficulty. It made no sound as it tried to escape the world it came from, so focused was it on getting through.

Raoul, magic running rapidly in his body, beefed up substantially. His clothes changed to white jeans decorated in fantastic, intricate colors of purple, black, red, dark-green, and blue. He went shirtless, but the colors ran up his torso as tattoos.

To Xian, he looked pretty hot.

But that wasn't the matter here. What mattered was that Raoul lifted his booted foot and let it crash down on the beast's head. There was no noise from the monster, but there was a disgusting _squish_ and _crack_ from the its ruptured head, whereas bones and blood spewed in all directions under Raoul's heavy boot. Some of the mess got on Raoul, and he grimaced in annoyance, and said, "Does it plug up the hole?"

Xian didn't reply. He was still in shock that his friend managed to do something so brutal so readily (Actually, again, Raoul's heart was beating so fast it threatened to come out of his chest. But he knew for certain that when he told this to Yui, or someone else did, Yui would be pleased).

"Xian!"

"Huh, what?"

Raoul asked again, "Is it covering the hole? Do you think any more monsters will be getting in?"

Xian looked; the monster was stuck there pretty tight.

"Unless something came by and ate it… I think we're good."

"Good." Raoul nodded. He then took up the bird that was still lying around, opened up the front door, and threw it out.

"What are you doing?"

"Cleaning up. Unless you want dead monsters in the house all night?"

"Oh. No."

"Then help me with the snake."

Raoul no longer looked like he could stomp a monster. He looked like a regular human being, so Xian and the others helped him with the snake, throwing it out on the front lawn along with the bird. They each took a limb of the beast and swung him to the grass.

The others began to descend the stairs.

"What are you guys doin'?" Juthian asked, behind him were a lot of the others.

"We're cleaning up the monster mess," Xian answered

"Need help?"

"Actually, can you look in that closet behind you and get the cleaning supplies?"

The lights were turned on downstairs, and Xian was met with the vibrancy of the blood and gut pieces.

"Why do you have so much cleaning stuff? How often do you clean?"

"Every day!" Omaki exclaimed. "Neat freak over here doesn't let us have a moment's rest unless the house is spotless."

"I like the house clean," Iason said calmly. "Hand me a pair of gloves and the Whiteout."

Soon, the entire house, guests and regular inhabitants, was cleaning. Some went to the walls while most scrubbed- no, not scrubbed- _dabbed_ the carpet (Iason insisted on dabbing). They threw away the spoiled leftovers and lit incense to mask up the abhorrent smells that wafted throughout the house. A while later, the house was cleaned to Iason's satisfaction, and they sat around the second floor common room(not the living room because of the beastie head and shoulders sticking out from seemingly nowhere).

"It's Iason's turn to get magic!" Jasmine yelled. "I've been waiting for this all week!"

"Why?" Iason demanded, standing in the middle of the kitchen and waiting for Megala, who had gone to the bathroom.

"I wanna see what sounds you make when the magic is being sucked outta you."

"I'm osculating."

Jasmine scrunched her eyebrows. "But you're a boy."

Xian, Heiku, and Omaki all burst out laughing, laughing so hard, in fact, that they fell to their knees. Even Iason let out a nice, low chuckle.

"Surely you're not that stupid," Raoul said brusquely. "He didn't say ovulating, he said osculating."

"Well, what the hell does that mean?" Jasmine crossed her arms.

"It means he is kissing."

"What the hell! Why didn't he just say that?"

"Because he said osculating!" Raoul's face had gotten a nice, dark, dangerous, scary shade of red.

Megala walked into the little fiasco waiting to happen.

"That's stupid!"

"You're stupid!"

Raoul had changed again, and his tattoos were moving by themselves! Quickly, they slithered across his skin like so many snakes. Xian (and everybody else) watched in wonder.

"You're stupid!" Jasmine screamed back.

"Don't call me stupid, mongrel. I at least know one word from another."

Jasmine, beaten on this point, went straight for his heart. "Well, you don't know art!"

"Oi, cool it, Jasmine," Riki said quickly.

"You take that back you fucking mongrel bitch!"

Raoul charged towards Jasmine, and he reminded Xian of the beast that Heiku had killed, except Raoul was way scarier. His moving tattoos and dark face all gave him a sinister look.

"Jasmine, quit it!" Ima yelled, but Jasmine only shook her light-purple hair out of eyes and jutted out her ample chest.

"No! And you know what, I _hated_ that sketch! It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen. It was no wonder that Sni tore it apart: You're a failure as an artist!"

Raoul lunged for her. Ima pulled her out of the way just at the last moment as Raoul stopped himself on the wall, making a huge hole with his hand. Yui ran up beside him.

"Raoul! Raoul, she didn't mean it! She didn't mean it at all!"

"Yes, the little hood-rat did mean it!"

"Hood-rat!" Jasmine whipped out a pair of metal tonfa. "I dare ya' to say that again!"

"No, Raoul," Yui said sternly.

A pair of arms enveloped Xian's head just then, and he wondered frantically who it was.

Juthian whispered in his ear, and his penis rolled at the intensity of his breath, "I'm glad you're not going to be high-maintenance like Raoul. We're going to be simple, right, Xian?"

"Y-Y-Yea, sure." Xian had to use both his hands to cover his erection, but Juthian solved the problem, and made it worse, by sitting completely on his lap. He smelled like the peach cologne Xian bought him at the mall.

Raoul ended up not saying hood-rat. His face turned to normal, the tattoos and clothes gave way to his albeit torn nightclothes, and he took some deep breaths at Yui's soft-spoken request.

"Now, look what you did, Raoul," Iason chided. "There's a hole in our wall."

"I'll pay for it," Raoul said tiredly. And he was. Xian could see the magic going slowly through his body, a telltale sign that the magic had been run ragged.

Raoul sat down next to Xian, pushing Juthian's feet out of the way. The big Blondie pulled Yui down next to him and wrapped one arm around Yui's shoulders. Raoul didn't even look at Jasmine anymore.

Jasmine hid her tonfa magically; they disappeared in purplish smoke. She, too, didn't say anything else (but she did pride herself in saying the last word).

"Um… Are we ready to go?" Megala asked Iason.

"Quite ready." Iason stood before Megala.

Megala blushed (He's always had a little bit of a crush on Iason) and took Iason's face in hand, and they _osculated_.

Iason made not a sound. He kept his hand to his side and didn't move. His magic-sucking business was done quite quickly, and, much to the disappointment of the entire room, he didn't make any such show of it. The only thing that moved about him were his clothes, and they simply changed from his cape and school outfit to a white robe and billowing bottoms. He was dressed like ancient Amoians.

It was pin-drop quiet as Iason opened his eyes.

Then, from a sheath that appeared at his left side, he pulled out a very thin, very sharp sword. It whistled in the air as he swung it back and forth.

"Ooo, you can do some damage with that," Riki complimented, eyes intent, ears moving to the sound of each slash.

Xian could see the jealously fire in Guy's eyes.

"I haven't wielded a sword since junior high school," murmured Iason. "When they were teaching us self-defense for some odd reason…"

"Do you have a kinda special power?" Riki asked, excitedly. "You're the captain of the Blondies, so you must be able to do something cool."

"Is that what usually happens? The natural-born leaders end up with something significantly better than the followers?"

"Uh, duh! It's the way the gods work."

Iason murmured, "The gods…" He stood there, contemplating, before he shrugged just a little. "I don't have anything else."

But Xian was seeing something big, something powerful going on in Iason's head.

"Try to do something with your head," Xian hinted.

Iason looked to have tried it- and came up with favorable results. He turned around, and around, and around, eyes wide.

"What is it, Iason, what is it?" Omaki asked. "You're killing me here!"

Iason's eyes landed on Riki, and the smile that lit Iason's face was almost… scary.

"This is just wonderful," he said.

"What? What?" the others were asking.

"Oh, I can't tell you. You will have to guess."

The audience booed him.

"Guess," Iason only answered. "It's not all that hard. It has to do with my head."

"You're super smart now and know the mysteries of the universe," Katze guessed.

Iason smiled a normal smile. "No."

"You made your head super hard so now nothing can penetrate it?" Ima said next.

"No."

"You can now give spectacular head at anyone's request?"

(Guess who that was) 

"You're ridiculous."

And then Riki, clutching his head, softly said, "You can read minds?"

The almost crazy smile spread again on Iason's face.

"Oh, my, god! That is like the _worst_ ability for Iason," Nico voiced. "It's bad enough that we don't know what he is thinking ninety-eight percent of the time, now he knows what we are thinking! Oh! Someone catch him!"

Juthian was already up and caught Iason just as he was about to fall.

"Can't read too much, now can you?" laughed Juthian.

"The mind is… The mind is so _deep_," Iason replied wearily.

"Stay outta my head," was Riki's angry answer to that. "I could feel you digging around up there. It's… _unpleasant_."

Iason straightened. He removed a bit of invisible dust from his shirt sleeve and told Riki, "Make me."

"Oooo…" went the rest of them.

"You read me. You know what I'm capable of!" Riki said proudly.

"I can also read your mind. So I know your thoughts nigh before you make them."

"We know how long you can go doing that."

"Well, then, there's no need to worry, then. I can't do it long enough."

Riki merely growled at this poor reasoning. Iason eyed him coolly. They stared each other down until Iason briskly turned away, saying "I am going to take a shower."

It was quiet, and then Raoul stood.

"I will take a shower as well."

Omaki stood, stretching. "Might as well have Yui join you," he joked. "He's at a perfect height for… oh, well… You know…"

"What?" Raoul growled. (He really didn't know what Omaki meant)

"To suck your-"

"To wash your back!" Yui yelled, glaring at Omaki. "I'm at a perfect angle to wash your back. And you don't seem all that flexible. I doubt very much that you can reach your back, can you?"

"No, I don't reach back there well," Raoul confessed. "So, you will join me?" It was a calm question, but in reality, Xian could see Raoul's heart beating very fast. Yui's, too. Things were progressing far faster than Xian could ever dream (or the Talk Trio could ever dream. They were so surprised at this turn of events that they were actually speechless, all three of them).

"If-If-If you want me to, Raoul, I'll be glad to join you," was Yui's quiet reply.

This only made Raoul more excited, and he quickly turned around and headed for the bathroom, striding with large steps. Well, the faster he went, the more likely no one would see his erection. Luckily, no one other than Xian did. And Xian said nothing.

"Xian and I are taking the next bathroom!" Juthian called, jumping out of Xian's lap.

"We-we-we-we-"

"Yes, _we_ are. Come on, Xian. Let's go all out tonight! The world is ending, right? We might as well make the best of it!"

"The world isn't ending, don't say that," Megala said reprovingly.

"Sorry," Juthian apologized sincerely, then he grinned at Xian. "Come on! It'll be fun. We don't have to do anything, I promise. We'll just… wash each other's backs."

Xian regarded the beautiful face of his love interest. It was shining, and, quite honestly, it wasn't like he didn't want it, though it was a rather outrageous request so early in their relationship (Magic fucks up the reasoning like that).

Still, Xian agreed, and with trembling hands he took Juthian's, and they headed for the bathroom. Behind him, Xian could hear Ima and the other girls try and persuade Heiku to join them in the bath, but he was resolutely saying no.

(Xian was going to be happy that he didn't have that kind of resolve)


	20. Bath Time

**AN**: SEEEEEEEEEEX

**Shishi: **Sorry about not having two chapters! I wrote the other chapters in, like, January and December… And now I've let the chapters catch up… So only one chapter from now on…And what's so tricky about mind-reading? I think I've made things too easy… XD And two more chapters, and you'll see what our favorite wolf can do! :D

**danib819: **Aw, thanks so much! I love the mind reading too. It took me a looooong time to finally settle on one gift. And the neat freak thing was an added touch. And stop saying please update soon! XD It has made me extraordinarily guilty to set the update back a day, lol. But thanks so much for reviewing danib!

**Hespera Nova: **Well, not all… That would have been redundant… But sex you should expect in every other chapter now… If not every one. What _did_ he see in his mind? I wonder that too… XD…..

Bath Time

Raoul stood in the steaming shower, waiting for Yui to undress. He regretted nothing. He didn't think they were going too fast. He was the sort of person to think that, as long as they were going to end up together, what matter what order they took their physical journey? (Xian was the type of person that couldn't resist Juthian's sudden whims, and Heiku was the type of person to be suddenly aware of Yousi's jealousy).

Raoul heard the shower door slide open and felt the gust of cold air before it abruptly shut off as the door closed. His erection was more than ready for anything to come its way.

He's masturbated plenty of times before, watched pornography, even had a few crushes (Iason one of them), but nothing prepared him for the all-out lust and desire he felt for Yui. All the drawing, the fantasizing (not about sex, just daydreaming), and even more drawing of the past month all led up to this day, where he would get his magic, this moment, where he will lose himself in a passion that he couldn't have even dreamed of a week ago.

"Raoul? Can I get in the water's path?"

Raoul moved off to the side of the shower; there was enough room for three big Blondies like Raoul, who looked at Yui's small feet. Slowly, he brought up his eyes, tracing ankles, calves, buttocks, back blocked by lovely long hair, shoulders- and then Yui turned around, and he was staring into Yui's face. There was a smile there.

"My heart is beating so fast," Yui whispered.

"You've… done this before, haven't you?" Raoul asked, not accusingly.

"Yes. Many times."

"Then what makes this any different?"

Yui's smile became something majestically paintable.

"Because… I like you. And… You like me. Right?"

"Yes." Raoul let his arms reach around Yui's small frame, and he pulled them together. Hot, wet flesh met each other, and the aforementioned erection was stuck against Yui's stomach. Raoul shuddered in pleasure, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he conjured up nerves of steel.

"Can we kiss?" Raoul asked.

"Of course. I'm so much shorter than you though, maybe you should-"

Raoul picked Yui up flush against him, and they kissed. Raoul didn't really know how to, so Yui took the reins, sucking hard on his tongue.

Raoul really thought that the kiss would be something unpleasant. It was swapping _spit_ after all. But Yui kind of tasted like Xeronese dessert and, well, spit. And Raoul figured that he must like the taste, for he kept kissing. All the while, his dick raged on, now painful. But Raoul didn't know how to progress from here.

"Yui," he gruffed out. "I feel like I'm about to burst."

"To you want me to do fellatio?"

Raoul was at first surprised that Yui knew what fellatio meant, but then remembered that he was smarter than the average mongrel (not like Raoul would ever use that word for him, though). His heart leapt into his throat as he nodded a yes to the suggestion.

He put Yui down, but then there was a dilemma. (It was actually kind of funny, because Omaki was then wrong) Yui was too tall to perform standing, but was too short to kneel.

"There's a tub," Yui proffered, opening the shower door leading to the rest of the bathroom. There was a separate bathtub that he directed Raoul to sit on the edge of. He kneeled down between Raoul's legs as soon as he got comfortable. He pushed the knees a little more far apart, which sent a surge of carnal desire through Raoul. Looking up at Raoul, Yui descended on his member, giving it a kiss, then a nice, long lick.

"Yui!" Raoul was already close to spilling his seed, and so he grabbed Yui's head and tried to calm himself down. He thought of the monsters, and that cooled him down enough. But when he looked down at Yui's waiting face, he was sprung again.

"It's okay, Raoul. You'll be up again in no time." And Yui boldly grabbed him at his base- his blood boiled! Taking his head into his mouth and quickly moving his hand up and down Raoul's shaft proved fatal. Raoul came down Yui's waiting throat. He didn't want it to happen so bad, that the orgasm was rather short.

But Yui was right. He still had an erection after just five minutes of rest. By then, they were back in the shower, and Yui was showing how to finger him.

"Just put your first finger in, okay? We have to take this slow because… You're rather large, Raoul. I have taken in few that were as big as you."

Raoul didn't like the idea that Yui had taken in more than one other, but he didn't think about that too much. Instead he focused on moving his slick finger in and out of Yui's passage. It was so incredibly tight and hot that Raoul thought that he could just come from the feeling around his finger. But that would be super embarrassing.

Another thought ran through his head. It was of hesitation. With the act of sex, he was practically throwing away his Blondiehood. Again, he pushed this thought away, and pushed in two fingers as Yui commanded.

He handled his erection with one hand as Yui moaned lowly and twitched around his fingers.

"Yui. I want to put myself inside you."

"After three fingers," Yui promised. "Push harder. Deeper. Yes!"

Yui threw his head back. Raoul let go of himself to hold Yui's hip, pulling it backwards just as he thrust forward with his fingers. He wanted to hear Yui's moans.

He was given this reward as he sank his fingers inside Yui.

"Three fingers," Yui gasped. Raoul followed these orders and earned another long moan that made his cock jump in excitement. Soon, it will have its way inside Yui's tight passage. But at the moment, it had to wait as Raoul stretched Yui almost to his limit.

Raoul asked impatiently, "Now, Yui?"

"Yes, but go slow."

With exciting new anticipation, Raoul aimed himself, nudging just the tip against Yui's twitching entrance. Raoul paused for but a moment, and then shook his head, continuing his quest.

At first, he didn't think he would go on, Yui was so tight, but after a few moments of insistent pushing, the muscles gave way and he was sliding deep into Yui's depths. Raoul held his breath the entire time, wondering dimly how something this vaguely disgusting could feel so good.

"Slow, Raoul, slow," Yui reminded him in a tense whisper.

Raoul already felt like he was going too slowly, but he went even more slowly, not really understanding how Yui felt. (Yui felt like he was being spread too wide, but that should be a given, regarding Raoul's size)

Raoul began pulling out, and Yui twitched hard against him, and his knees went weak. The Blondie suddenly thought that he might fall, but he took Yui's hips in hand, and kept pulling. This went on for some time until Yui rasped out, "Faster."

No sooner than he said this did Raoul's thrust went back in. Yui cried out- in pleasure. After awhile, they were establishing a comfortable rhythm in the shower, pelted by hot water (that would stay hot for a long time, no worries about that).

"Yui, you feel so good!"

"You can go harder- Nnnn!"

Raoul thrusts harder, faster, and he felt himself already ready to reach consummation. It was too soon, but this time he pushed it, wanted it, but most of all, he wanted Yui to feel it too. He took Yui's penis in hand, a substantial member still in proportion to Yui's size, and began to pump. Pump hard with a tight fist he did, and Yui's moans kept on. Raoul himself was groaning into Yui's shoulder, which he kissed and licked in his excitement.

"Oh, Raoul! I'm coming!"

This excited Raoul further; he wanted to feel Yui come around him and hear him. He also wanted to see his face, but it was too late for that. He couldn't pull out and turn Yui around even if Jupiter told him to. In the end, it was enough, for when Yui came, his canal squeezed him exquisitely, and then he was coming too. White hot pleasure fired from his base to the very tips of his toes and fingers, and then a strange thing happened. The pleasure dimmed a little, but Yui moaned a long moan, clutching the wall and Raoul was sure he was coming again. As it happened to be, he was. But that wasn't the best part. When Yui did that wonderful squeezing move, Raoul's hands and the cock buried in Yui's ass burned almost unbearably, and he was moaning the same moan, and he was also coming again.

And back and forth this process went. Raoul's knees eventually did go weak, and by the time it was over, they were both on the floor of the shower, panting.

"What… What was that?" Raoul asked breathlessly.

"That… is what happens…" Yui took a deep gulp of air and leaned back onto Raoul's large chest. "That is what happens when two people with magic have sex. We make a connection with our magic… And it travels between us when we have an orgasm. I felt it when you came before, too."

"I see. I can't believe Blondies have been missing out on this for… centuries!"

"Me neither. But is it such a price to pay when you have the peace and security of being a Blondie?"

They were quiet until Raoul finally answered, "Well, there's no use thinking about that now. I'm not going to be a Blondie."

"You're not?"

"No. No, I'm not. I want to stay with you."

More silence.

"Thank you," Yui said. "You've made me very happy."

"That is all I wish for."

Yui turned around so they can kiss. It was a lazy romantic kiss that didn't reach the passion of before but was good enough. Afterwards, they finished their shower and donned bathrobes. When they got out the bathroom, no one was on the second floor, which was where their bathroom was. The house was eerily quiet, but that was probably just because they had been in the shower for so long. Their shower was loud.

The two went downstairs to see what was up and found Toma, Ru, and Sarius in the kitchen, playing with a (Heiku's) phone. Toma dialed a number, and all that answered back was static.

Yui asked them, "What's going on?"

Toma screamed, covering his heart with his hand. "My goodness! Don't scare me like that, Yui!"

"Sorry."

Ru answered, "We were waiting for you guys."

"What happened?"

They grinned, and Raoul thought that maybe it wasn't something bad.

"Yousi figured how to make a phone get connection and-"

"It takes a lot of magic out of him, but they ended up calling Yousi's friend Yutaku-"

"And he's in a lot of trouble! He's the only survivor out of his house, and he's hiding in his attic-"

"So the others went to go and save him-"

"And we stayed behind because we thought that you guys might want to come along-"

"But we still have to wait for Xian and Juthian. Juthian is _loud_. Well, louder than usual."

Raoul listened carefully, and he could hear cries of pleasure, two types. One definitely sounded like something close to Xian. Raoul once, coincidentally, listened outside Xian's room as he jacked off, loudly. He could, since the only room next to his was the common room, and above and below him were the bathrooms. The sounds he made in his room matched the ones coming from the downstairs bathroom. Though his cries were, of course, on a much larger scale. Whatever he and Juthian were doing in there was something spectacular.

"Xian! Xian-Xian!" Juthian cried with a particular desperateness, and Roaul could still hear Xian's moans underneath.

"You guys better go get dressed if you want to see any of the action," Toma advised.

Raoul and Yui followed the advice, getting dressed quickly in more comfortable, appropriate clothes.

"We're probably going to have to take another shower after this," Yui said.

Raoul looked at him, and he was smiling.

"Oh, well," Raoul said in mock sadness.

It wasn't long before Xian and Juthian were out of the bathroom and clued in to what was happening, and they, too, got into better clothes. And then they were out.

At one moment while they walked out of the house, Raoul thought they were leaving Iason, but then realized that Iason wasn't distracted by sex to make his shower any longer than regular.

The first thing he noticed when he looked outside made him, and all of them except the Talk Trio, stop.

The forest had taken over their front yard, so that he no longer could see Yutaku's house just across the street. All he could see were trees on all sides. And that wasn't the end of it; there were monsters everywhere, flying ahead, climbing trees, and walking across the ground. Even more, there were hills that, the one directly in front of them high and steep.

"How in the hell are we supposed to get to Yutaku's house alone? Whose idea was it to go after him?" demanded Raoul.

"Riki."

"Mongrel."

"Look," Ru spoke again, "Megala said that most of these monsters are harmless- scavengers that wouldn't attack."

"My apologies if I don't quite believe him."

"You can stay."

Raoul immediately set his eyes on Yui for confirmation, but Yui had turned his eyes away.

"Yui?"

"I want to make sure my friends are okay."

Raoul crossed his arms, stubbornly, face going red.

"Raoul," Yui whispered, turning towards him. "It'll be alright. I can feel it."

"I hope your feelings are right."

Despite his earlier hesitation, Raoul began walking ahead of them, acting as a huge shield for the rest, which was just what he had in mind. If anyone was going to get hurt, it wasn't about to be Yui. He didn't really want it to be him, but standing out in front was the only way he could be sure. Unless, of course, a monster came from behind.

Raoul slowed down.

They walked up the hill. It was a lot steeper than Raoul bargained it was, maybe because his feet were actually clambering through the dirt and plants. Weird, echoing cries, shouts, and squeals of the animals and monsters sounded throughout their walk. And by the time they had made it to the top of the hill, they had made a tight pack with Raoul in the front and Xian in the back.

"Don't worry," Xian said. "I'll be able to see anything that comes our way."

"I don't care if you can see it. I wanna know if we can handle it," Sarius shot back in a shaking voice.

"You guys here that?" Ru asked.

They stopped and listened.

Faintly, there was the sound of a car wailing its alarm. Raoul listened more carefully. There were several car alarms going off. What was going on?

They all began running down the hill, a much easier task than going up.

Again, they stopped at the sight before them.

There were horrifying demons everywhere. Some were definitely chewing on human carcasses. These monsters paid no heed to the seven walking boys. The other beasts were crowded around the cars noisily making themselves known. The crazy animals angrily beat at the cars, chewing on tires and breaking the glass. There were even some of the beasts with the circular saws. The saws couldn't cut through the car metal, instead it let out a keening squeal that was worse than a thousand nails on chalkboard, and drove the blue beast absolutely batshit. Still, there wasn't much in the brain department for these creatures, so they kept hacking away with their saws.

The seven huddled together, following Raoul, who saw their friends crowded around Yutaku's house. When Raoul and they were in running distance, they all ran.

"So, what's up? Why is everyone outside?" Toma asked.

"You blind?" Jasmine answered, "Yousi and Iason, and Riki and Guy are inside, trying to get this _humongous_ monster from out of the house. It, like, can hardly fit inside the house, it's so big. It's like a huge crocodile!"

"Why are Yousi and Iason inside?"

"They want to practice with their magic, even though they have so little."

Toma looked inside the house, as did rest that just arrived.

Raoul could see the tail of the monster. It _was_ quite big, taking up the entire width of the stairs and even spilling over the sides, having knocked over the balustrade. It was a big, silver monster. He touched it experimentally; it was cold.

The monster had sharp spikes on his back in the shape of shark teeth, and it had many legs. Raoul counted six that were already visible.

Raoul said, "It looks like it has an impenetrable shell, but I don't see its head, so it is alright."

"Megala said it was harmless except when it is hungry," Gwen informed them. She talked over Raoul's shoulder.

"And, let me guess, it is hungry."

"No, but it's stuck. And it's too big to carry."

"Why don't Guy move it?" Juthian asked, climbing inside the house over the monster's tail (the stairs were right next to the door in this house). The other latecomers followed suit.

"You don't want to go in there," Katze warned.

Raoul stepped over, too late to react. What he saw made him nauseous, and he tripped over the tail trying to back away from the scene of gruesomeness.

What was left of Yutaku's house, as in the people, was on the floor. They made a huge pile of intestines, organs, skin, and bones. The pile was obviously made purposely.

"What could have done this?"

"You mean who," Katze corrected.

"Megala said that it could have been an intelligent monster," Ima corrected back. "And I'd rather go with that than have some person do this."

"True. And to answer your question Juthian, the monsters shell is made of some fancy bone or something, not metal."

"Ah, that explains it." Juthian yelled up the stairs. "Guys? Are you up there?"

"Hot damn!" Riki cried out ecstatically. "Is Raoul with you?"

"Yea!"

Raoul looked up the stairs to see Riki over the rim. The stairs in Yutaku's house went up in a row, rather than on either sides of the house like at theirs.

"Dude, you think you can pull this monster out? It's blocking the door to the attic and Yutaku can't get out."

"I'll try," Raoul said. He took one look at the tail and buffed up and out, stretching his already stretchy clothes to their limits, and he took the monster's tail, and began pulling. At first the monster didn't budge, and then it began to slowly move. Raoul turned to the right to get the tail and first two bottom legs through the door. Behind him, he heard the Talk Trio talking to Yui.

"So, was the bonecrusher rough on you?" Ru inquired. "I bet it was something else."

"He was very gentle," Yui whisperd.

"Oh, really? I took him as the impatient type!"

Yui was quiet, then said, "He was, a bit. But he really took the… stretching in stride. I think he will be even better next time."

"Oooo, next time! I bet you can't wait."

Again, silence from Yui.

Raoul thought that _he _couldn't wait, and he hoped that Yui felt the same and that he was just too shy to say anything. He then started daydreaming about the shower, the feeling of Yui around him, the lusciousness of his skin beneath his fingers. He wanted to do it so badly, right then!

"Raoul, dude, stop! You're breaking the house!" Riki yelled.

Raoul snapped to, stopping his pulling. He walked inside the house and found that, indeed, the house was crumbling where the monster had caught on.

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Raoul barked, shrinking.

"Keep going! Just slower! We'll move the body from the sides. We just need it to go a few feet so we can open the door!"

Raoul, concentrating on the beast now, took the tail and hand and slowly pulled. He was encouraged by those upstairs to keep going or to slow down, or stop completely so that they could rearrange the monster around the curves. The others downstairs helped to pull the legs through the door.

And so they all worked together to get the monster halfway out the house so that Yutaku could escape from the attic. By the time they were finished, Raoul had used enough of his magic to be completely exhausted, but Yui had smiled big at him and said, "Good job," so that he wasn't so tired after all.

Yutaku was escorted out the house. And as soon as he stepped over the monsters sixth leg and outside, he began to scream.


End file.
